Sale 2649 - Lot 111

SAM GILLIAM (1933 - 2022)

Untitled.

Acrylic and metallic paint on draped polypropylene fabric, 1979. Approximately 2286x1067x305 mm; 90x42x12 inches (installation dimensions variable). With the artist's studio inventory tag, lower left.

Provenance: acquired directly from the artist, collection of Lou Stovall (2006); thence by descent, private collection, Washington, DC (2023).

Friends for 50 years, Lou Stovall (1937 - 2023) acquired this artwork directly from Sam Gilliam during a period of great artistic partnership between the Washington artists. Lou Stovall was a master printmaker, artist and a legendary figure in the Washington, DC art community. Stovall's eloquent command of the screenprint lead to many great collaborations, producing significant prints with many artists, including Elizabeth Catlett, Louis Delsarte, Jeff Donaldson, Gilliam, Jacob Lawrence and Lloyd McNeill. Sam Gilliam's screenprint Soaring, 2005, printed and published at Stovall's Workshop studio, was inspired by this painting.

This vivid painting of the most saturated color is a beautiful example of Sam Gilliam's groundbreaking work in draped canvas. This stunning work of abstraction crosses the boundaries of painting, sculpture and performance.