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ALPHA 137 GALLERY

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ALPHA 137 GALLERY

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Sam Gilliam, Marathon, Lithograph with Intaglio in Colors, 2003, Unique Trial Proof

Name: Sam Gilliam, Marathon, Lithograph with Intaglio in Colors, 2003, Unique Trial Proof
Brand: Sam Gilliam
Availability: OutOfStock

Sam Gilliam

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Description

SAM GILLIAM (American, b. 1933)

MARATHON, 2003

From the series Marathon Series

Lithograph and Intaglio on Paper (Signed/Dated/Numbered/Titled)

30 2/5 × 22 1/2 in

77.2 × 57.2 cm

Signed and dated lower right; Titled lower center; Numbered lower right in pencil; With publisher's blindstamp lower right and inventory number 'SG-TP-31.03' inscribed in pencil on the reverse

TP aside from edition of 3

Vermillion Limited Editions, Minneapolis, pub.

This work is from Sam Gilliam's Marathon series of layered lithograph and intaglio prints from 2003. It is a unique trial proof aside from the very small edition of 3. Gilliam’s ingenuity and inventiveness can be seen in his apt use of shapes, patterns, and colors in this series. Each work contains similar geometric shapes and splattered grounds with varying color palettes.

In November, 2015, Artnet magazine voted Sam Gilliam one of the world's most undervalued artists! Here's their blurb:

Sam Gilliam (1933–): Some may argue that Gilliam's market rediscovery is already in full swing. Nevertheless his inclusion is warranted as an example for how quickly a "forgotten" artist can be rediscovered. In the 1960s and 1970s, Gilliam became known for his "drape paintings," large colorful canvases tied into knots and hung from the wall. He was celebrated as a painter who broke out of the frame, and had shows at the Whitney in 1969, MoMA in 1971 and the American Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1972. He was cut off from the art market for decades until dealer David Kordansky and artist Rashid Johnson curated a show in Los Angeles in 2013 that helped bring him back into the market's consciousness.

Gilliam began experimenting with geometric collages in the 1970s, continuing into the 1980s. His collages from the early-to-mid 1980s explored relationships between primary colors. When Gilliam began revisiting these compositions in the late 1990s and early 2000s, his pallet changed dramatically. In this blue trial proof version, he uses a secondary color palette against a blue background, using crosshatching and overlapping shapes to create more complex hues. Gilliam frequently played with splatter marks during this time, and the drips in the background here create a dialogue with the geometric shapes. Gilliam's Marathon series strives to combine various modes of expression and styles of abstraction into powerful and curious compositions.

This print is in excellent condition and has never been framed.

Provenance: Published by Vermillion Limited Editions, Minneapolis; Unique Trial Proof.

Series: Marathon Series