Leon Polk Smith Art
American, 1906-1996
Leon Polk Smith (1906 -1996) holds a unique place in a long tradition of American geometric abstract painting, which includes such artists as Bourgoyne Diller, Fritz Glarner, Al Held, and Ellsworth Kelly. Born near Chikasha, a Native American territory later annexed by the U.S. as the state of Oklahoma, Smith’s parents, who were of Cherokee ancestry, raised him with both a strong sense of his heritage and an abiding respect for the land. Art would eventually draw Smith to New York where he would quickly embrace elements of geometric abstraction in his work. His visual vocabulary was influenced by such historical figures as Hilla Rebay, both an abstract painter and the first director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Dutch De Stijl painter Piet Mondrian. However, many of Smith’s hard-edge compositions could be viewed as distillations of imagery drawn from the Oklahoma landscape and Native American art forms of his youth. Polk Smith’s exploration of non-objective imagery in the late 1950s put him at the forefront of movements including Color Field, Minimalist, and Hard Edge painting. Robert Buck, former director of the Brooklyn Museum, described Polk Smith as “an influential pioneer in the development of American Modernism”, adding, “He created a new vocabulary in painting that has had a far-reaching influence on subsequent generations of artists.”
One of Smith’s earliest and most successful forays into printmaking came in 1968 when he received a grant to work at June Wayne’s Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles. Smith would create sixteen untitled prints at Tamarind. These bold and vibrant prints incorporate a variety of his painting motifs, many of which relate to his Correspondence Series of 1960-1967, with their interplay of organic forms on solid color backgrounds. Prints would continue to be an important aspect of Smith’s creative output. The artist would go on to make over 50 print editions in this country and Europe.to
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Artist: Leon Polk Smith
Constellation Blue Violet Green Red - Post War Abstract Shaped Acrylic Painting
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Constellation Blue Violet Green Red” is a Post-War Abstract, shaped canvas painting by Hard-Edge American Painter, Leon Polk Smith. The artwork is signed verso, “Leon Polk Smith Con...
Category
Mid-20th Century Hard-Edge Leon Polk Smith Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Leon Polk Smith (1906–1996) - Serigraphy on Fabriano paper - 1983
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in Varese, IT
Serigraphy on Fabriano paper, edited in 1983.
Limited edition of 125 pieces, numbered as 43/125 in lower left corner.
Signed in pencil by artist in lower right corner.
Paper size: 68...
Category
1980s Abstract Leon Polk Smith Art
Materials
C Print
Werkubersicht/Work-Overview F, Large Silkscreen by Leon Polk-Smith
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in Long Island City, NY
An original hand-signed and numbered minimalist silkscreen from the Werkubersicht/Work-Overview Portfolio. Leon Polk Smith is credited with the founding of the hard-edge art movement...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art
Materials
Screen
Werkubersicht/Work-Overview D, Large Silkscreen by Leon Polk-Smith
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in Long Island City, NY
An original hand-signed and numbered minimalist silkscreen from the Werkubersicht/Work-Overview Portfolio. Leon Polk Smith is credited with the founding of the hard-edge art movement...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art
Materials
Screen
Werkubersicht/Work-Overview E, Large Silkscreen by Leon Polk-Smith
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in Long Island City, NY
An original hand-signed and numbered minimalist silkscreen from the Werkubersicht/Work-Overview Portfolio. Leon Polk Smith is credited with the founding of the hard-edge art movement...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art
Materials
Screen
Werkubersicht/Work-Overview J, Large Silkscreen by Leon Polk-Smith
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in Long Island City, NY
An original hand-signed and numbered minimalist silkscreen from the Werkubersicht/Work-Overview Portfolio. Leon Polk Smith is credited with the founding of the hard-edge art movement...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art
Materials
Screen
Werkubersicht/Work-Overview I, Large Silkscreen by Leon Polk-Smith
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in Long Island City, NY
An original hand-signed and numbered minimalist silkscreen from the Werkubersicht/Work-Overview Portfolio. Leon Polk Smith is credited with the founding of the hard-edge art movement...
Category
1970s Abstract Geometric Leon Polk Smith Art
Materials
Screen
Leon Polk Smith (1906–1996) - Serigraphy on Fabriano paper - 1983
By Leon Polk Smith
Located in Varese, IT
Serigraphy on Fabriano paper, edited in 1983.
Limited edition of 125 pieces, numbered as 46/125 in lower left corner.
Signed in pencil by artist in lower right corner.
Paper size: 68...
Category
1980s Leon Polk Smith Art
Materials
C Print
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Leon Polk Smith art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Leon Polk Smith art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, purple, green and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Leon Polk Smith in screen print, lithograph, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Leon Polk Smith art, so small editions measuring 18 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Kyohei Inukai, Charles Hinman, and Peter Halley. Leon Polk Smith art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,000 and tops out at $58,000, while the average work can sell for $7,500.