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Ellsworth Kelly — Black Yellow
Ellsworth Kelly — Black Yellow
Ellsworth Kelly

Black Yellow

1970

A forceful composition of two unmodulated color fields, Black Yellow (1970) exemplifies Ellsworth Kelly's lifelong investigation into the expressive potential of pure form and chromatic contrast. The lithograph positions a dense, absorbing black against a luminous yellow, creating a visual tension that feels simultaneously still and charged. Kelly's mastery lies in the precision of that boundary, where the two fields meet with an exactitude that transforms a seemingly simple arrangement into something both meditative and electric. At 86.4 by 101 centimeters, the work commands presence without relying on decorative complexity, trusting entirely in the power of color relationships to hold the viewer's attention. Produced in an edition of 55 and hand-signed by the artist, this lithograph represents Kelly at the height of his engagement with the print medium, a period during which he approached works on paper not as secondary documents of his painting practice but as autonomous objects worthy of the same formal rigor. The technical demands of achieving such flat, even color fields in lithography are considerable, and Kelly's success here reflects both his exacting standards and his collaborative precision with master printers. The result retains every quality of intention that defines his large-scale works, condensed into a format well-suited to a refined interior. For collectors, Black Yellow offers a compelling entry point into Kelly's hard-edge abstraction at a scale that integrates naturally into residential and institutional settings alike. The work arrives framed and is presenting an opportunity to acquire a signed, editioned work from one of the most consequential American artists of the twentieth century. Its two-color austerity has only grown in cultural resonance over time, and pieces from this period of Kelly's print output are consistently sought by serious collections worldwide.

Medium
Lithograph
Sheet
Framed
Signed
Yes

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About this work

Ellsworth Kelly, Black Yellow, 1970

A forceful composition of two unmodulated color fields, Black Yellow (1970) exemplifies Ellsworth Kelly's lifelong investigation into the expressive potential of pure form and chromatic contrast. The lithograph positions a dense, absorbing black against a luminous yellow, creating a visual tension that feels simultaneously still and charged. Kelly's mastery lies in the precision of that boundary, where the two fields meet with an exactitude that transforms a seemingly simple arrangement into something both meditative and electric. At 86.4 by 101 centimeters, the work commands presence without relying on decorative complexity, trusting entirely in the power of color relationships to hold the viewer's attention. Produced in an edition of 55 and hand-signed by the artist, this lithograph represents Kelly at the height of his engagement with the print medium, a period during which he approached works on paper not as secondary documents of his painting practice but as autonomous objects worthy of the same formal rigor. The technical demands of achieving such flat, even color fields in lithography are considerable, and Kelly's success here reflects both his exacting standards and his collaborative precision with master printers. The result retains every quality of intention that defines his large-scale works, condensed into a format well-suited to a refined interior. For collectors, Black Yellow offers a compelling entry point into Kelly's hard-edge abstraction at a scale that integrates naturally into residential and institutional settings alike. The work arrives framed and is presenting an opportunity to acquire a signed, editioned work from one of the most consequential American artists of the twentieth century. Its two-color austerity has only grown in cultural resonance over time, and pieces from this period of Kelly's print output are consistently sought by serious collections worldwide.

Medium
Lithograph
Dimensions
sheet: 86.4 x 101 cm • framed: 94.6 x 109.2 cm
Year
1970
Edition
of 55
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Susan Sheehan Gallery, United States

Related themes

Print, Geometric, Living Artist, Two Color, 20th Century, Blue Chip, Contemplative, Bold Color, American, Modernist, Color Field, Geometric Abstraction, Limited Edition, Works on Paper, Lithograph, Minimalism, Black and White, Yellow, Hard Edge, Abstract Composition

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Frank Stella, Kenneth Noland, Josef Albers

Collected by

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