For her newest editions, Polly Apfelbaum seized upon the graphic power of fundamental geometric shapes, creating distilled compositions from which to explore the possibilities of elemental color schemes. Printed as woodblock reliefs, On Target and Sun Targets both feature precise, concentric circles overlaid on a square, though on much different scales.
On Target comprises six works, each presented on handmade Japanese paper that is twenty-five inches squared. The entire portfolio was produced with the same eight woodblocks, and the largest of which, the square background, appears the same shade of deep-midnight blue across the suite. Rendered with crisp lines and flat colors, the prints are precise and clear but far from mechanical; the paper’s varied texture and rough edges lend them a decidedly human touch. Within the circles, Apfelbaum takes the viewer on short walks around the color wheel, moving through it in measured, clockwise or counterclockwise steps. Depending on whether the eye travels inward or outward, the works provide contrasting impressions of form and movement. They seem to be concave or convex, to expand or contract, or to lead us on a journey of descent or ascent—like Divine Comedy in polychrome.
More than four times larger in size, measuring sixty inches squared, Apfelbaum’s Sun Targets begin with a similar round structure. In these three monumental prints, however, her chromatic experiments occur outside the circle more so than within it. Eleven rings in a selection of tertiary colors orbit a small, central area of yellow with a light-gray circumference. Inked in a flat, even manner, these massive interior woodblocks are a constant across the three works. The artist instead altered the background, juxtaposing the vibrant circle against each of the three primary colors—red, blue, and yellow. These changes to the exterior surroundings drastically alter the overall impact of the images, demonstrating how context and relationship can transform our perceptions.
Produced with such foundational configurations and hues, these new prints are resolutely abstract. At the same time, as with so much the artist’s work, they reference an array of sources, both high and low, and invoke endless associations, including scientific illustrations of the cosmos as well as bulls eyes that are used in many popular sports. They also engage art history—not only conversing in color theory and with the paintings of such figures as Jasper Johns and Kenneth Noland, but also with Apfelbaum’s larger practice. Sun Targets echo recent rug works that she created in collaboration with weavers in Mexico, and circular motifs have recurred throughout her career, from her Wallflowers of the early 1990s to her later “fallen paintings” that expand organically in concentric spirals on the floor. On Target is an edition of 25, and Sun Targets are editions of 3, each are available through Durham Press.
For more information about these new series or Apfelbaum’s many other prints, please contact us at sales@durhampress.com.