ABOUT THE WORK

Untitled (Double Red) was produced by Joel Shapiro in 1980 as one of three works, alongside iterations in green and purple. This print is part of the artist's brief work in lithography, which uses a rigid metal plate in its production. However, despite the technique, the work shows a subtle fluidity with its impromptu-like sketch juxtaposed alongside the curvature of a colored motif. Its minimalism epitomizes the artist's lifelong interest in spatial relationships and his preference for using a single, vibrant color. This work was printed on Arches Cover paper by Derrière l'Étoile Studios in New York and published by Brooke Alexander Editions.

This lithograph has undergone restorative treatment by an AIC specialist to regain the original brightness of the Arches paper. Please contact the gallery for more information.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Joel Shapiro (b. 1941) is a renowned minimalist artist who uses geometric shapes to signify themes of balance, projection, and movement. Born in New York City, Shapiro obtained his BA and MA from NYU and worked in the Peace Corps during the intervening years. He spent part of that time in India, where he observed the country's seamless blending of art into everyday society. This experience inspired him to become an artist and focus on sculptural forms for urban spaces.

In the early part of his career, Shapiro produced smaller, sculptural pieces that experimented with concepts of scale and proportion as they relate to the human experience. He also experimented with various types of printmaking, depicting geometric shapes and spatial studies across more than fifty sets of editions. He later became influenced by artists such as Richard Serra and Donald Judd and shifted his focus to creating larger pieces unconfined by the limits of interior spaces. This shift resulted in an extensive body of monumental, minimalist sculptures derived from rigid industrial materials yet depicting the human form in whimsical motion and painted in bright primary colors. Shapiro's pieces now occupy the grounds and permanent collections of Washington DC's National Gallery of Art and Kennedy Center, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.