Donald Sultan

Aqua Trumpet

2011

Friedel Dzubas (1915-1994) was a Berlin-born, American abstract painter and a key artist associated with both the New York School and the Color Field movement. Dzubas studied art i...

Ed Ruscha (b. 1937) is known internationally for his blending of conceptual approaches with pop sensibilities. Today he is firmly established as a leading figure in American 20th cen...

Dan Christensen (1942-2007) is widely recognized as one of America’s foremost color abstractionists. Over the course of forty years as an artist, Christensen was devoted to exploring and expanding the constantly shifting trends of 20th century abstraction. Christensen established his reputation at the end of the 1960s, as began using spray guns to create colorful stacks, loops, and lines in his artworks. This body of work was considered by the legendary art critic Clement Greenberg among the most original abstract paintings of the decade. Unlike many of his contemporaries who dedicated their practice to a signature style, Christensen was unrelentingly curious and allowed his dynamic version of abstraction to evolve as he tried new techniques and aesthetics. During the 1980's and 1990's in particular, Christensen focused on experimenting with different forms of washing, spraying, and layering colours over top of each other. The works from Christensen's late period combine the gestural drama of Abstract Expressionism with the stained surface look popularized by the color field artists. The aesthetic complexity he achieved with these combined techniques are perfectly demonstrated in this later untitled work (aka "Blue...

General Idea was founded in 1967 in Toronto by AA Bronson (b. 1946), Felix Partz (1945-1994), and Jorge Zontal (1944-1994). Over the course of 25 years, they made a significant contribution to postmodern and conceptual art in Canada and beyond. The trio was both prolific and multi-disciplinary long before it became de rigueur. They worked across a wide range of media including photography, sculpture, painting, mail art, video, installations, multiples, and performance. With their subversive approach and interest in parody and appropriation, General Idea addressed a broad range of social (and art-world) issues such as the cult of the artist, mass media, queer identity, and consumerism. Thematic continuity was a key element for General Idea, who utilized longevity as an avenue to delve deeper into, build upon, and evolve with the complex and nuanced subject matter they took on. “Monet Cane” is an extraordinary example of General Idea’s use of iconography, appropriation, (and mischief) from this era. Beginning in the early 1980s, General Idea began using the poodle as an emblem for the trio, quickly elevating it to one of the most dominant motifs in their practice. Both single poodles, and trios (which would be a sort of group self-portrait) appeared frequently in a variety of artwork during their last decade of production. The 80's was a decade that saw appropriation flourish in the visual arts. General Idea made a significant contribution to this trend. While many of their contemporaries used mass-market images or objects (think Barbara Kruger, Jeff Koons, and Richard Prince) General Idea did not restrict themselves to accessible imagery but also claimed canonical images and blue-chip references. General Idea created two major series of paintings featuring the trio of poodles; in pastels (which were often bleached in a commercial washing machine) and in neon colors. This painting is exceptionally rare as it is one of four paintings made with this distinct flecked surface. This unique texture is a significant (and beautiful) anomaly at odds with their predominantly flat and graphic aesthetic. The surface of the canvas is enveloped in tiny, weighted flecks of paint that have been layered to create an incredible texture. This application of paint, which appears to be chenille-like, recalls both the atmospheric pastel palette and impressionistic effects made famous by Claude Monet. "Monet Cane" can not only be contextualized with other poodle paintings...

Double Poppies Aqua 2025 
Color silkscreen with enamel inks, flocking and sand on Rising 4-ply museum board 
Sheet size: 52.5 x 30 inches (133 x 76 cm)
 Image size: 48.5 x 26 inches ...

Color silkscreen with enamel inks, flocking, and tar-like texture on Rising 4-ply museum board 58 x 58 in (147.32 x 147.32 cm)

Artist: Donald Sultan Title: Aqua Double Poppies Portfolio: Double Poppies Medium: Silkscreen with enamel inks, flocking, and sand on Rising 4-ply museum board Date: 2025 Edition: 9/...

Donald Sultan's 'Seven Blues Jan. 24, 2024' is a masterful color silkscreen featuring enamel inks, flocking, and tar-like textures, limited to an edition of 30. Donald Sułtan Seven...