Painted in 1967, Vivian Springford’s Untitled (VSF526) exemplifies the bold, vibrant canvases for which she is revered. A distinctive spin on the Color Field aesthetic, her signature “one-shot” paintings feature expressive and precise pools of pigment. The resulting artworks capture color in motion, mirroring “the expansive center of the universe, of the stars, and of nature.”i
“[Painting is an] attempt to identify with the universal whole... I want to find my own small plot or pattern of energy that will express the inner me in terms of rhythmic movement and color. The expansive center of the universe, of the stars, and of nature is my constant challenge in abstract terms.”
—Vivian SpringfordThough closely connected to contemporaries such as Kenneth Noland and Helen Frankenthaler, Springford merges her Abstract Expressionist influences with a career-long study of Chinese calligraphy. Fusing organic and technical methods of painting, Springford’s acrylic staining is executed in one sitting; washes of blue, pink, orange and purple are poured onto the unprimed canvas and allowed to mingle amongst one another. The colors form a striking harmony, inspired by the bold hues collected during Springford’s many travels – the artist was largely inspired by her trips to the Yellowstone Caldera and Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater, using these influences to create her vivid, flowing topographies.
Springford was a fixture of the New York art world of the 1950s and 60s, but health struggles caused the artist to adopt a highly private persona as her career progressed. Consequently, Springford is a prime example of underrepresented artists of the post-war period. Beginning with a solo show with Gary Snyder in 1998, her work has received mounting acclaim; her inaugural exhibition with Almine Rech Gallery, New York, in 2018, was instrumental in cementing her popularity for years to come. Springford’s success has prevailed at auction as well: a sale record for the artist, her 1971 work Untitled (Tanzania Series) sold for $241,300 at Phillips in May of 2023.
