Mary Heilmann

Holly Solomon Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of light wear around the edges, corners and lateral sides. Under ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Mary Heilmann's stunning 1976 composition, Small Red Yellow and Blue Too is composed of a nearly monochromatic background of rich crimson red placed adjacent to primary tones of canary yellow and vibrant blue. The two squared-off forms placed next to the red rectangle are outlined with brushy and squeegee tracings of the parallelogram. One can see evidence of the artist's hand as Heilmann outlines the forms and layered hues with varying degrees of translucency. One can see in the underpainting and the artist's acute sensitivity to the surface. As in Barnett Newman's 1966 composition Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue, both artists use unadulterated paint to serve as a celebration of pure color and simplified forms. The shapes lack exactitude demonstrating the painter's appreciation for fallibility and inexactitude. While Minimalist artists such as Ellsworth Kelly composed hard edge works in an attempt to remove their hand from the process, Heilmann worked in stark contrast; her seemingly simplified forms are composed of uneven and unfinished borders revealing the armature and artifice of every stroke of her brush. As Johanna Burton has postulated, Heilmann "is by most accounts a painter's painter and indubitably abstract at that." (Mary Heilmann, To Be Someone, p. 52)