Sold for $24,130

Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer’s Premium

Lot Description

Barbara Rossi

(American, 1940-2023)

Words for the Water, 1977

acrylic on masonite

signed Barbara Rossi, titled and dated (verso)

36 x 48 inches.

Provenance:
Sold: Susanin's Auctioneers, March 25, 2021, Lot 6020
Private Collection

Literature:
Dennis Adrian, Barbara Rossi: Selected Works, 1967-1990, The Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1991, pp. 12

Lot Note:

A champion of clarity and unique graphic vision, Barbara Rossi’s distinctive painterly formula rated her a key contributor and beloved artist within the Chicago Imagists. Within this band of creatives, which boasts other noted artists such as Christina Ramberg, Jim Nutt, Gladys Nilsson, and Karl Wirsum, existed an artistic current where formal sensibilities were shared and reimagined. Some shared visual characteristics included an exploration of organic shapes, execution of sharp contours, choice of vivid color, and calculated applications of paint. Imagism is also defined by its content which is inherently figurative and whimsical. Out of these shared proclivities, Rossi’s works are celebrated for their clarity of expression, where compositions are calculated and linework is neatly defined. Extracting from the figure, Rossi paints inventive anatomies and complicated structural interiors that cleverly reach into the territory of abstraction. Words for the Water is a prominent painting that reflects the artist’s distinctive oeuvre. Here her fixation on the reimagined figure contains weighted bodily shapes that twist and circulate within a colored atmosphere.

Condition Report

Framed: 39 1/2 x 51 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches.

The physical condition of lots in our auctions can vary due to age, normal wear and tear, previous damage, and restoration/repair. All lots are sold "AS IS," in the condition they are in at the time of the auction, and we and the seller make no representation or warranty and assume no liability of any kind as to a lot's condition. Any reference to condition in a catalogue description or a condition report shall not amount to a full accounting of condition. Condition reports prepared by Hindman staff are provided as a convenience and may be requested from the Department prior to bidding.

The absence of a posted condition report on the Hindman website or in our catalogues should not be interpreted as commentary on an item's condition. Prospective buyers are responsible for inspecting a lot or sending their agent or conservator to inspect the lot on their behalf, and for ensuring that they have requested, received and understood any condition report provided by Hindman.

Please email fineart@hindmanauctions.com for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.