94

Helen Frankenthaler

(1928-2011)

Plaza Real.

Color soft-ground etching, etching and aquatint on Rives BFK, 1987.
One of twelve Roman numeral artist's proofs, aside from the edition of 60. Signed, dated, inscribed "AP" and numbered XI/XII in pencil, lower margin. Printed and published by Polígrafa, Barcelona. Harrison 139.
Plate: 19.82 x 26 3/8 in. (50.4 x 67 cm.), full margins.

  • Notes:
    According to Harrison, the original version of this work was drawn by Frankenthaler on her first day working at Ediciones Polígrafa in Barcelona, "And although she later added the stroke of black across the bottom, she did nothing else to change the initial idea. The copper plate was evenly-coated with a varnish; using a rag soaked in turpentine, Frankenthaler dissolved the varnish to expose the copper below. She was able to manipulate the drawing by controlling the quantity of turpentine on the rag. The results are fluid and spontaneous, giving the black image [the element upper center ultimately printed in bluish gray] a wide range of density . . . For the final edition, the plate was printed in five colors with the red and blue relief printed from the three raised circular areas on the copper plate."
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