Lot 263A
Frank Faulkner (American, 1946-2018). Abstract Patterns. Mixed media on canvas, 1982. Signed with year on upper left of verso. A marvelous and quite massive mixed media on canvas piece by American artist and interior designer Frank Faulkner exemplifying his classic style of rhythmic, abstract patterns that achieve elegance via repetition of design and diversity of surface. Boasting both natural and non-objective elements, the compelling composition is comprised of jagged forms resembling blades of grass, a large petaloid motif reminiscent of a leaf or feather, a vertical band of black and white blocks, 2 undulating serpents, thin striped lines with colors evoking those of a snake, and tightly-packed rows of petite triangles, bringing to mind the layered scales of a fish or plumage of a bird. Faulkner similarly employs the mix nature and fantasy in his color palette; juxtaposing earthy tones of green, beige, and tan beside vibrant shades of fuchsia, violet, and magenta. Size: 84" L x 1.25" W x 60" H (213.4 cm x 3.2 cm x 152.4 cm)
Note the varying textures adding movement to the piece, playing with light and shadow to carry one's eye steadily across the fascinating work of art.
A biography of Frank Faulkner by Phillip Herrera at the Carrie Haddad Gallery reads: "Born in Sumter, South Carolina in 1946, Frank Faulkner received his B.F.A. from the University of North Carolina in 1968, Phi Beta Kappa, and his M.F.A. from the same institution in 1972. Faulkners work quickly won him numerous grants and awards, including an individual artist grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1974. He was selected for the Whitney Biennial in 1975, which prompted him to settle in New York. There, he came to the attention of Dorothy Miller, Curator Emeritus of the Museum of Modern Art with a legendary eye for new talent. Since then, Faulkner has continued to garner acclaim and awards. He has been featured in dozens of one-person exhibitions (not to mention group exhibitions) in this country, as well as in Japan, Switzerland, and Germany.
Faulkners work is owned by leading museums (the Smith College museum in Northampton, Massachusetts, for example, the National Museum of American Art and the Hirshhorn in Washington, D.C.) and by renowned collectors such as Nelson Rockefeller, Baron Leon Lambert, Phillip Hanes and Abba Eban.
What a viewer first notices is the sheer elegance of the pieces, no matter what materials Faulkner usesmetal, wood and fabric as well as canvas and paper. Obvious, too, is the artists originality. Faulkner belongs to no school. His work is patterned but is far too intellectual to qualify as so-called pattern art, which mainly strives to be merely pretty. Rather, he paints in his own highly organized way, filling the surface without being excessive or boring.
Faulkner sets up a system, say, of dots or dashes, then subtly changes the visual rhythms in order to add life and surprise - what he calls 'the gymnastics of seeing.' He works and reworks the surfaces of his canvases, often laying down one thin layer of slightly reflective gold, silver or bronze paint upon another until the final work seems to glow with inner light. John Ashbery, a leading critic and poet, has likened Faulkners art to minimalist music, which achieves both simplicity and beauty from its obsessive repetitions. The critic Carter Ratcliff describes it more simply as 'brilliant artifice.' Faulkner's current work, a series of paintings on paper, continues and deepens this exploration of the relationship between wrought surface and changing light."
Another striking aspect of the work is the influence of the decorative arts. Faulkner has made some paintings on wood that stand independently and fold open like screens. Other pieces resemble large tapestries, and yet others take their inspiration from Art Nouveau inlays. Faulkner is quick to admit his sources. To him, the applied arts are indistinguishable from the fine art. He knows and loves Samurai armor, Classical architectural details, chinoiserie, Persian rugs - the whole gamut of the applied arts - and they, of course, inform his creations. Indeed, he is so interested in interiors that he has, while continuing to paint, spent much of the last decade restoring old houses and advising clients how to decorate their homes. (Many of the results have been featured in periodicals such as Architectural Digest and House & Garden.)"
Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection, acquired from Austin Auction Gallery, Austin, Texas, USA on March 11, 2017, lot 115
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#183552
- Condition: Signed with year on upper left of verso. Some miniscule chipping along side, but otherwise intact and in excellent overall condition with a suspension wire on verso for display. Good preservation of color and low relief elements.
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