Willem de Kooning - Modern and Contemporary Editions New York Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | Phillips

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  • Literature

    Lanier Graham 26

  • Catalogue Essay

    De Kooning turned unexpectedly to lithography in 1970. It absorbed his attention for much of the year. When the Museum of Modern Art had asked de Kooning and other artists in 1966 to contribute lithographs to a book in memory of Frank O'Hara, de Kooning enjoyed the process of illustrating the poems, so much so that he did twenty drawings on Mylar to be made into prints. He had also made seven other original prints that year with Irwin Hollander, a master printer who had recently moved from California to New York. Although Hollander encouraged de Kooning to make more, "It was not until [de Kooning] returned from his trip to Japan that he responded to do a body of lithographs. Perhaps the seeing and feeling of calligraphy, Sumi brush painting, and Zen inspired him to do prints. Whatever, the results were beautiful," recalled Hollander. The printmaking, in black and white, offered de Kooning an escape from the highly keyed colors of his most recent paintings. And the tools were different. And he worked within a different rectangle.  If the liberating spirit of Zen encouraged him to make art without worrying too much - Zen sought to free the hand from the paralysis of thought - the regular trips to New York also allowed him to leave the studio and the claustrophobic house.  M. Stevens and A. Swan, De Kooning: An American Master, New York, 2004.

134

Landscape at Stanton Street

1971
Lithograph, on Arches paper, with full margins,
I. 25 5/8 x 19 in. (65.1 x 48.3 cm).;
S. 30 x 22 1/4 in. (76.2 x 56.5 cm).

signed, dated '71 and inscribed 'to Fred from Bill' with a peace sign in pencil (the edition was 60 and 10 artist's proofs), published by Hollanders Workshop and Fourcade (with their blindstamps), New York, a few soft creases and occasional foxing, otherwise in good condition, unframed.

Estimate
$15,000 - 20,000 

Sold for $18,750

Modern and Contemporary Editions

21 May 2008, 2pm
New York