1979 Kenneth Noland English Screenprint. Colour screenprint after 'Gift 1961-2'. Printed for the Trustees of the Tate Gallery, London 1979 by A.J. Huggins of Bristol.
 
'Gift 1961–2' is a square painting with a central image consisting of concentric rings circling an olive green core. Radiating outwards from this centre is a ring of muted grey-green, a thin ring of dark cobalt blue and finally a ring of pale ultramarine blue. The background is painted a warm earthy yellow, slithers of which are visible between the edges of some of the rings, and in the case of the white and blue circles this produces a vibrating effect. Such colour effects were of prime importance to the artist: ‘I wanted to have color be the origin of the painting’, Noland later explained of works of this type. ‘I was trying to neutralize the layout, the shape, the composition … I wanted to make color the generating force’.
 
The work was made towards the end of a four-year period during which Noland concentrated on painting circular forms. From late 1958 until 1962 Noland painted about 175 such canvases, which became his first body of work to receive widespread critical attention. These works initiated the artist’s preference for painting predetermined formal designs in extended series, although his serial approach always allowed for considerable variation in colour and painterly character. In late 1961 Noland moved from Washington, D.C. to New York, where he was based for a year before buying a house and studio in South Shaftsbury in Vermont. Gift is one of about fifty paintings he made while living and working temporarily at the Chelsea Hotel in central Manhattan. According to a letter from the artist’s wife to the Tate Gallery, Gift was begun in the winter of 1961 and completed in early 1962, before Noland left New York.
 
Size: 24”H x 23”W.
 
Condition: Excellent condition with some minor faint scuffs and creases from natural age. Light signs of tape residue along the base only, which can be covered when framing if desired. 
 
About the Artist - Kenneth Noland
Kenneth Noland (1924-2010) was an American abstract painter associated with the Color Field movement. He was known for his innovative approach to color and geometric abstraction. Noland's early works featured circular "target" compositions, which became his signature style. These target paintings played a significant role in the development of abstract art in the mid-20th century.
 
One intriguing aspect of Noland's life is his time in the U.S. Air Force during World War II, where he worked as a glider pilot. His military service had a lasting impact on his art, influencing his use of color and geometry.
 
Noland was part of the Washington Color School, a group of artists who emerged in Washington, D.C., in the 1950s and explored color as a primary element in their works. His minimalist and highly abstract paintings evolved over the years, often characterized by bold, flat color fields and geometric shapes. His contributions to Color Field painting made him a significant figure in American abstract art.