Friedel Dzubas

André Emmerich Gallery, New York

Sotheby’s New York, Contemporary Art Auction, A Benefit Auction for Gay Men’s Health Crisis, 22 November 1988, Lot 14 (donated by the artist and courtesy of the above)

Acquired from the above sale by the present owner

“In clearing the canvas of all unessentials, I was more and more reduced to a few, simple, meaningful forms, and these forms were the content of my message. Naturally, color came more and more into play, and I discovered that what I can reach emotionally and express by color is infinite.” Friedel Dzubas (Friedel Dzubas, as quoted in Charles W. Millard, “Interview with Friedel Dzubas”, Friedel Dzubas, Washington, D.C. 1983, p. 28, catalogue for exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden)

Through his work, Dzubas pays homage to the legacy of historic painting techniques, especially those of frescoes, but also creates pieces that defy the use of the traditional medium. Placidum serves as a prime example of the artist’s innovative use of color, form and scale. The free flowing brushstrokes and the luminous color palette of the work merge to form a dynamic work which plays with viewers’ perception of space and experience of color. 

Friedel Dzubas, a pioneer of the Color Field Movement, worked alongside Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Jules Olitski and Kenneth Noland. Participating in some of the most influential movements of his time, Dzubas nevertheless created his own style in which he combined scrubbed layers of paint and thinner almost transparent ones. Placidum embodies Dzubas’ creative approach to making.