Kenneth Noland

M. Knoedler & Co., New York
Private Collection, New York
By descent to the present owner from the above

This work is in good condition overall. Please refer to the attached report prepared by Amann + Estabrook Conservation Associates.
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.

Kenneth Noland’s Untitled from 1961 uniquely bridges the gap between the Color Field artist’s most acclaimed series: the Target paintings from 1958-1959 and the Chevron paintings from 1963-1964. This masterfully rendered canvas maintains the centrifugal force and round focal point of the Targets, but has hardened the outer edges to be sharp vectors, together forming a diamond shape. The outer layer of yellow paint has irregular, painterly edges, creating a kind of halo around the center shapes of the canvas.

With its multicolored layered and geometric forms, the influence of Josef Albers, Noland’s former professor whom he studied with at Black Mountain College, is palpable. Throughout the 1960s, Noland experimented with the concentric forms and bands of pure color for which Albers is known, but Noland added his own unique quality that celebrated the paint color and texture itself, situating him firmly in the Color Field movement. "Noland's search of the ideal Platonic form has crystallized into an art in which color and form are held in perfect equilibrium. The spare geometry of his form heightens the emotional impact of his color. The rational and the felt, distilled form and sensuous color intermesh to create a magic presence. His space is color. His color is space. Color is all.” (Diane Waldman, Kenneth Noland: A Retrospective, New York, 1977, p. 36)