1980
Though he was born in Switzerland, photographer Robert Frank’s greatest legacy was his representation of places and figures across the United States, the bulk of which was published in a seminal book titled The Americans.
Frank emigrated to America in 1948, settling in New York City, where he was hired as a fashion photographer for Harper’s Bazaar by the magazine’s legendary art director Alexey Brodovitch, who also recruited Lisette Model, Richard Avedon and mid-century-era style-setting couple Leslie Gill and Frances McLaughlin-Gill. Frank’s artistic style — and use of a 35mm Leica, an unconventional choice in the fashion world — proved not to be a fit, however, and he left the job after a few months. He went on to produce street photography around the city while working freelance jobs for the likes of Vogue, Life and other publications.
But it was leaving New York that would produce Frank’s most notable work. Throughout the 1950s, with the support of a Guggenheim Fellowship and guidance from Walker Evans, he embarked on a series of cross-country road trips, traversing nearly every state in the continental U.S. and producing a wealth of arresting photographs of its inhabitants. The black-and-white images pioneered what became known as a “snapshot aesthetic,” capturing a spontaneous moment. Subjects are often out of focus and rarely looking toward the camera, and rippled fabric or bent grasses often suggest movement and breeze.
After an initial publication in France, where the photographs appear alongside essays, The Americans was released in the U.S. in 1959 with a foreword by author Jack Kerouac, who espoused Frank’s ability to capture a uniquely American spirit.
“That crazy feeling in America,” Kerouac wrote, “when the sun is hot and music comes out of the jukebox or from a nearby funeral, that’s what Robert Frank has captured in tremendous photographs taken as he traveled on the road around practically forty-eight states in an old used car.”
Following the release of The Americans, Frank turned much of his attention to film. He would go on to produce a film version of Kerouac’s The Beat Generation and cofounded the New American Cinema Group in 1960. He died in 2019.
Find Robert Frank photography on 1stDibs.
Untitled (for Kennedy)
By Robert Rauschenberg
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Rauschenberg is revered as one of the most innovative American pop artists - more avant-garde than Warhol, more audacious than Jasper Johns. In addition to his artistic achie...
Lithograph
Aquafix
By Robert Rauschenberg
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008) is revered as one of the most innovative American pop artists - more avant-garde than Warhol, and more audacious than Jasper Johns. For much of his p...
Etching, Lithograph
Mariner Man
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Caviar20 is thrilled to present the esteemed work of Louise Nevelson - one of the most revered and unique artists of the 20th century. Though best known for her work as a sculptor, l...
Mylar, Photo-lithograph
America La France Variations III
By Robert Motherwell
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) is one of the essential American abstract painters that radically defined post-war abstraction in New York City. Today, his work appears in museum coll...
Lithograph
Untitled
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Caviar20 is excited to be offering this striking collage by the inimitable Louise Nevelson, who is regarded as one of the most original, influential, and successful American sculptors of the 20th century. Nevelson's enduring appeal lies in her distinct visual language, which is apparent in all of her works, regardless of medium. While her iconic monochromatic wood assemblages are instantly recognizable, she continuously experimented with diverse materials, including resin, steel, and bronze, as well as numerous printmaking techniques. Collage was an important part of Nevelson's practice, defining her signature aesthetic. Much like her approach to printmaking, her collages possess a sculptural ethos that transcends the two-dimensional surface, imbuing the composition with a remarkable sense of volume, texture, and depth. One could argue that Nevelson's sculpture was informed by collage in that she took assorted existing forms combining them in order to create an entirely new and distinct arrangement. This untitled collage is an exceptional example of the artist's mastery of the medium. Featuring an assemblage of wood veneer, mirror, and metal, this work reflects Nevelson's meticulous sense of form and rhythm. Subtle details, such as the alternating direction of the wood veneer grain further heighten the visual complexity of the otherwise minimal composition. The inclusion of wood veneer marks a notable shift for Nevelson, who was previously loyal to a strict monochromatic palette of black or white. It wasn’t until the 1970s with her experimentation in collage that she expanded her palette. Nevelson also created jewellery and this collage acknowledges her activity in that realm. Created at the age of 83 during the final chapter of her career, this piece powerfully captures Nevelson's enduring spirit and dedication to artistic innovation. Today Nevelson's work can be found in every major public collection across North America and beyond. Questions about this piece? Contact us. Visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment. "Untitled" USA, 1983 Mixed media collage Metal, mirror, wood, and wood veneer on grey mat board mounted on 0.25" Luan plywood Signed and dated by artist, bottom right Nevelson Estate no. LN 40830 19.5"H 15.75"W (work) 31"H 21"W (framed) Very good condition Literature: Stein, Judith. Louise Nevelson Collages...
Metal
The Great Wall
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Caviar20 is thrilled to present the esteemed work of Louise Nevelson - one of the most revered and unique artists of the 20th century. (Also, an artist who continues to be undervalu...
Metal
Photographs and Etchings, Jim Dine and Lee Friedlander Portfolio 1969
By Jim Dine
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jim Dine, American (1935 - ) and Lee Friedlander, American (1934 - ) Title: Photographs and Etchings Year: 1969 Medium: Portfolio of 16 Diptychs of Gelatin Silver Prints and ...
Etching, Silver Gelatin
Robert Frank - Flower Is
By Robert Frank
Located in New York, NY
Flower Is… “is one of Frank’s great books (which means it is one of the greatest of photobooks), demonstrating magisterially, as he himself says in the boo...
Large Contemporary Annette Lemieux Photo Etching Aquatint Censor Abstract Print
By Annette Lemieux
Located in Surfside, FL
Annette Lemieux (American, 1957-) Date: 1994 Medium: photogravure, aquatint (photo etching) and stencil Hand signed and dated lower right. Editioned lower left. Dimensions: Sheet: 22...
Etching, Aquatint, Photogravure
Tom Sandberg photography , Norwegian 1953-2014 Gelatin Silver Print
By Tom Sandberg
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very nice and peaceful image of this well known Norway artist Tom Sandberg .The image is 6 x 9.5 inches and the full sheet is 16x 20 inches. Signed in verso also 1980 and 35/50. This...
Paper
Harney County, Oregon
By Robert Adams
Located in New York, NY
Robert Adams Harney County, Oregon 2005 Set of four photogravures Each image: 19 7/8 x 15 5/8 inches; 51 x 40 cm Each frame: 29 x 25 inches; 74 x 64 cm Edition of 30 Each signed, ...
Photogravure
Conceptual Artist Allen Ruppersberg Hand Printed Lithograph Prints & Photographs
By Allen Ruppersberg
Located in Surfside, FL
Allen Ruppersberg (American, 1944-) Lithograph, Mixed media From the Top Ten Historical Similarities (and Differences) Between Prints and Photographs. This sale is of one print not t...
Mixed Media, Lithograph
