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LEON POLK SMITH(1906–1996)

 
<div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div><br><br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div>
Konstellation Blau Violett Grün Rot196836 x 36 1/4 Zoll(91,44 x 92,08 cm) Acryl auf Leinwand
Provenienz
Lisson Gallery, New York
Privatsammlung, erworben von der oben genannten Galerie
Leon Polk Smiths „Constellation Blue Violet Green Red” (1968) ist ein eindrucksvolles Beispiel für die radikale Auseinandersetzung des Künstlers mit Form und Farbe in der Nachkriegsabstraktion. Das Werk wurde in Acryl auf Leinwand ausgeführt und besteht aus vier abgerundeten quadratischen Tafeln, die in einer Rautenformation angeordnet sind. Jede Tafel weist eine klare Farbtrennung auf: Schwarz am äußeren Rand, gepaart mit einer von vier leuchtenden Farbtönen – Blau, Violett, Grün und Rot –, wodurch ein rhythmisches Wechselspiel von Symmetrie und Variation entsteht.





Smith war eine zentrale Figur in der Entwicklung der Hard-Edge-Malerei und der geometrischen Abstraktion, zusammen mit Zeitgenossen wie Ellsworth Kelly und Carmen Herrera. Seine in den 1960er Jahren begonnene Serie „Constellation” war bahnbrechend, da sie mehrere geformte Leinwände verwendete, die direkt an der Wand angebracht wurden, und auf traditionelle Rahmen verzichtete, um Kompositionen zu schaffen, die sich dynamisch in den umgebenden Raum ausdehnen.





Während Smith sowohl auf Papier als auch in monumentalen Einzelbildgemälden sehr produktiv war, sind mehrteilige „Constellation”-Werke in seinem Œuvre nach wie vor weniger verbreitet. Heute sind seine Gemälde in bedeutenden Institutionen wie dem Museum of Modern Art, dem Whitney Museum of American Art und dem Brooklyn Museum vertreten. In „Constellation Blue Violet Green Red“ kommt die Klarheit von Smiths Vision voll zur Geltung – Farbe und Geometrie vereinen sich zu einer Konstellation, die sowohl präzise als auch expansiv wirkt, diszipliniert und doch voller visueller Energie.
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