NEW YORK, NY.- PhillipsX will present The Deep End: Works by Vivian Springford, a selling exhibition featuring a selection of large-scale canvases by the late American abstractionist. Opening on 29 June, the show will feature an iconic selection of works from the 1960s through the 1980s and will be on view at the 432 Park Avenue gallery through 9 August. This period saw Springford taking inspiration from her travels across the globe with topographies as far-reaching as Tanzania or the chromatic pools in Yellowstone National Park having been translated onto canvas with sweeping, gestural swaths of color.
Alexander Weinstock, Private Sales, said, “Following the success of previous exhibitions such as The Virtues of Rebellion, and in conjunction with our upcoming presentation by Arnold Lehman of Innovation in American Art / 1970 – 1975, PhillipsX is thrilled to be able to utilize our platform to elevate the voices of under-represented art historical figures. Although traditionally grouped alongside color-field contemporaries such as Morris Louis, Helen Frankenthaler and Kenneth Noland, the enigmatic Vivian Springford carved a path that was distinctly her own.”
Born in Milwaukee, Springford’s family relocated to New York City during her childhood, and it was here that she would remain for the rest of her life. After her graduation from the Spence School on New York’s Upper East Side, the young debutante – eschewing the social morays of her time – immediately enrolled at the Art Student’s League. The next twenty years of her career were marked by commercial work, primarily illustrations for magazines and periodicals. In 1960, with the assistance of art critic Harold Rosenberg, she had her first solo exhibition in New York City at Great Jones Gallery. This was followed by a second show at Preston Gallery in 1963.
By the 1970s, Springford had developed her distinctive technique for staining her raw canvases with thin acrylic washes. Unfortunately, due to health concerns, Springford gradually receded from the public sphere, creating a mature body of work outside the prying eyes of the New York art world.
Through recent and upcoming exhibitions held at prestigious venues such as Gary Snyder Project Space in New York, Almine Rech in New York, Fondation Vincent Van Gogh in Arles, France, Song Art Museum in Beijing, China, and more, there has been a well-deserved acknowledgment of Springford's significant contributions to 20th century art history. Phillips is honored to be part of this journey by playing a modest yet meaningful role in introducing the artist to a wider audience.
