Greyland (Gemini 1195)

In contrast to the early figurative subjects, Diebenkorn would later create some of the most ambitious and large-scale abstract prints of the latter 20th-century. Blue (lot 203) and Greyland are among these later works. With the assistance of master printer Serge Lonzingot at Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles, Diebenkorn created six new works. With Greyland he demonstrated his artistic prowess at creating a painterly abstract lithograph with subtle nuances of tone. He also translated his imagery to the woodcut medium, a technique not known for such gradations of tone and form. In Blue, Diebenkorn, with the assistance of traditional Japanese artisans Tadashi Toda (printer) and Reizo Monjyu (block carver), created a print with rich layers of blues contrasted with fields of red and white highlighted with delicate pinks. Through the multitude of techniques, workshop collaborations, and pictorial strategies, Diebenkorn left behind one of the most diverse and compelling graphic oeuvres. He was one of very few artists to cross such vast artistic terrains and achieve success, albeit with much trail and error, in each arena.