Larry Zox (1937-2006) was a central figure in the evolution of abstraction in American art of the 20th century. He played an essential role in the Color Field discourse of the 1960s and 1970s.
Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Zox studied at the University of Oklahoma and went on to work under the tutelage of modernist Georg Grosz at the Des Moines Art Centre. Zox moved to New York City and established his reputation by the mid 1960s. His studio was located on 20th Street and he was surrounded and inspired by a melting pot of jazz artists, bikers, and boxers.
By the mid 1960s, Zox arrived at his characteristic style, utilizing hard-edge shapes in bold colors to create geometric patterns, which were often created on raw canvas.
Zox's hard-edge geometric creations from the late 1960s and early 1970s are arguably the most important from his oeuvre. Fittingly he had a retrospective at the Whitney Museum in 1973. Today, numerous museums including , the , and the all have examples of his work from this era.
“Rotation” is a quintessential example of his mastery of geometry and color. A rich purple dominates this abstract drawing surrounded by trapezoids. To the 21st century viewer this palette evokes the early 1990s, however this work was created nearly 30 years prior...where such a presentation of color was radical rather than trendy.
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Signed and dated by the artist.
Untitled (from the "Rotation" series)
Mixed media on paper
Circa 1968
Very good condition
Provenance: the estate of Larry Zox
