Babe Shapiro (1937-2016), BLUE HEXAGONS, 1971.

silkscreen/paper, 79 x 60 cm (clear passe-partout)
signed, dated and described on lead l.d.: Z III 1971, p.d.: 4.125 babe shapiro

The artist studied under Robert Motherwell - a prominent representative of American Abstract Expressionism. Shapiro was discovered in 1958 by the then director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York - James Sweeney, who collected mainly paintings belonging to the aforementioned aesthetic. Shapiro had his first solo exhibition in 1962. However, the artist enjoyed his greatest popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. He became famous for his geometric, monochromatic compositions that were part of the optical art trend. He realized his compositional ideas both in the form of acrylic paintings (including large-format paintings) and works on paper. Thanks to his technical excellence in deriving gradations of tones, he achieved the effect of optical illusion. The viewer usually experiences a strong illusion of light emanating from within the painting.