Raymond Jonson (American, 1891–1982), A-Print, 1965 Lithograph
Raymond Jonson (American, 1891–1982) was an American painter and printmaker who became a central figure in the development of nonobjective art in the Southwest. After studying in Portland and Chicago, he worked as art director for the experimental Chicago Little Theatre, where his interest in modern stage design encouraged an increasingly abstract approach to composition. A visit to Santa Fe in 1922 led him to settle permanently in New Mexico, whose landscape he interpreted through simplified forms. Jonson later became a leader of the Transcendental Painting Group, founded in 1938 to promote an art based on spiritual experience and the emotional power of form. In his mature work, Jonson reduced the New Mexico landscape to broad curves and suspended forms, arranging them with the clarity of stage scenery. He joined the University of New Mexico faculty in 1949 and became an important mentor to younger artists working in the region. At Tamarind in 1965, Jonson carried into lithography the enclosed, almost architectural forms that had long shaped his paintings, using the print medium to explore how a single dark mass could alter the balance of an entire composition. His work is represented in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
A-Print, 1965, is a lithograph in black on cream wove paper, printed and published by the Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Los Angeles. A tall, sharply pointed form rises through the center of the composition, intersected by broad curving bands that extend toward either side. Loosely tangled lines fill the surrounding rectangular fields, while the right side is organized around two circular forms enclosed within a dense vertical block. Inscribed in graphite “A. Print 1965 — Tamarind imp” at lower left and signed “Jonson” at lower right, with Tamarind and associated printer or workshop blindstamps in the lower margin. Numbered “1302” in graphite on the verso. This is one of nine Tamarind impressions retained outside the regular edition of 15. Sheet measures approximately 20.75 x 15 inches; image measures approximately 17.5 x 12.5 inches. Condition is generally good overall, with light toning and a faint mat line around the image, mild handling waviness, and a small isolated area of discoloration near the lower-left verso. The deckled edges appear original. Image presents well. Provenance of Martin and Enid Gleich.
Condition
Please review the photos for a complete understanding of condition.
Dimensions
20.75 x 15 in
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
Raymond Jonson (American, 1891–1982) was an American painter and printmaker who became a central figure in the development of nonobjective art in the Southwest. After studying in Portland and Chicago, he worked as art director for the experimental Chicago Little Theatre, where his interest in modern stage design encouraged an increasingly abstract approach to composition. A visit to Santa Fe in 1922 led him to settle permanently in New Mexico, whose landscape he interpreted through simplified forms. Jonson later became a leader of the Transcendental Painting Group, founded in 1938 to promote an art based on spiritual experience and the emotional power of form. In his mature work, Jonson reduced the New Mexico landscape to broad curves and suspended forms, arranging them with the clarity of stage scenery. He joined the University of New Mexico faculty in 1949 and became an important mentor to younger artists working in the region. At Tamarind in 1965, Jonson carried into lithography the enclosed, almost architectural forms that had long shaped his paintings, using the print medium to explore how a single dark mass could alter the balance of an entire composition. His work is represented in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.
A-Print, 1965, is a lithograph in black on cream wove paper, printed and published by the Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Los Angeles. A tall, sharply pointed form rises through the center of the composition, intersected by broad curving bands that extend toward either side. Loosely tangled lines fill the surrounding rectangular fields, while the right side is organized around two circular forms enclosed within a dense vertical block. Inscribed in graphite “A. Print 1965 — Tamarind imp” at lower left and signed “Jonson” at lower right, with Tamarind and associated printer or workshop blindstamps in the lower margin. Numbered “1302” in graphite on the verso. This is one of nine Tamarind impressions retained outside the regular edition of 15. Sheet measures approximately 20.75 x 15 inches; image measures approximately 17.5 x 12.5 inches. Condition is generally good overall, with light toning and a faint mat line around the image, mild handling waviness, and a small isolated area of discoloration near the lower-left verso. The deckled edges appear original. Image presents well. Provenance of Martin and Enid Gleich.
Condition
Please review the photos for a complete understanding of condition.
Dimensions
20.75 x 15 in
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
