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Ellsworth Kelly — Untitled
Ellsworth Kelly

Untitled

1972

Ellsworth Kelly's 1972 lithograph, *Untitled*, presents a powerful and pristine example of the artist's enduring investigation into form, color, and space. The composition is strikingly simple yet profoundly impactful: a large rectangle divided precisely in half by a horizontal line. The upper segment glows with an intense, luminous orange, while the lower portion anchors the composition in a deep, absolute black. This stark juxtaposition of vibrant energy and profound depth is executed with the impeccable hard-edge precision characteristic of Kelly's oeuvre. Rendered as a lithograph in colors on BFK Rives paper, the work showcases the artist's mastery of the printmaking medium, allowing for a remarkable saturation of color and a flawless, unmodulated surface that draws the viewer into a contemplative experience of pure visual sensation. The subtle texture of the paper further enhances the tactile quality of this geometric abstraction. This piece stands as a testament to Kelly's lifelong commitment to distilling visual experiences into their most essential elements. Throughout his distinguished career, Kelly consistently challenged traditional notions of painting and sculpture, reducing forms to their fundamental shapes and colors to their purest expressions, often inspired by observations from the natural world or architectural details. In *Untitled*, the artist removes all narrative or symbolic content, inviting direct engagement with the formal qualities of the work itself. The careful balance between the expansive orange and the grounded black creates a dynamic tension, highlighting Kelly's nuanced understanding of how color and spatial relationships can evoke powerful, albeit non-representational, sensations. As an Artist's Proof, indicated by the "A.P." in the lower left, and bearing Kelly's signature in the lower right, this particular impression holds special significance for collectors, representing a direct connection to the artist's creative process and approval. It is a quintessential example of Kelly's mature aesthetic, offering both visual elegance and intellectual rigor.

Medium
Lithograph in colors on BFK Rives
Location
Wright, Chicago, United States

🔨 Auction Lot

Wright: 20|21 Art: The Chicago Edition (July 2022)

July 14, 2022

Estimate: $6,000 to $8,000

Lot 188

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About this work

Ellsworth Kelly, Untitled, 1972

Ellsworth Kelly's 1972 lithograph, *Untitled*, presents a powerful and pristine example of the artist's enduring investigation into form, color, and space. The composition is strikingly simple yet profoundly impactful: a large rectangle divided precisely in half by a horizontal line. The upper segment glows with an intense, luminous orange, while the lower portion anchors the composition in a deep, absolute black. This stark juxtaposition of vibrant energy and profound depth is executed with the impeccable hard-edge precision characteristic of Kelly's oeuvre. Rendered as a lithograph in colors on BFK Rives paper, the work showcases the artist's mastery of the printmaking medium, allowing for a remarkable saturation of color and a flawless, unmodulated surface that draws the viewer into a contemplative experience of pure visual sensation. The subtle texture of the paper further enhances the tactile quality of this geometric abstraction. This piece stands as a testament to Kelly's lifelong commitment to distilling visual experiences into their most essential elements. Throughout his distinguished career, Kelly consistently challenged traditional notions of painting and sculpture, reducing forms to their fundamental shapes and colors to their purest expressions, often inspired by observations from the natural world or architectural details. In *Untitled*, the artist removes all narrative or symbolic content, inviting direct engagement with the formal qualities of the work itself. The careful balance between the expansive orange and the grounded black creates a dynamic tension, highlighting Kelly's nuanced understanding of how color and spatial relationships can evoke powerful, albeit non-representational, sensations. As an Artist's Proof, indicated by the "A.P." in the lower left, and bearing Kelly's signature in the lower right, this particular impression holds special significance for collectors, representing a direct connection to the artist's creative process and approval. It is a quintessential example of Kelly's mature aesthetic, offering both visual elegance and intellectual rigor.

Medium
Lithograph in colors on BFK Rives
Year
1972
Seen at
Wright, Chicago, United States

Related themes

Print, Abstract Art, Two Color, Twentieth Century, Bold Color, Minimalist, Male Artist, Flat Surface, American Artist, Color Field, Geometric Abstraction, Orange And Black, Postwar Art, Pure Abstraction, Reductive form, Contemplative Art, Works On Paper, Lithograph, Horizontal Composition, Hard Edge, Divided Rectangle

More works by Ellsworth Kelly

Collected by

Alex Capecelatro, Sebastián In Situ, Melissa Avery, Hamilton Selway Gallery, Carolyn Lynx, Art Institute of Chicago, Brittany Laques, Sharrissa Iqbal