Sam Gilliam 1998 Signed Mixed Media Lithograph Edition of 60

Artist: Sam Gilliam
Title: Untitled (1998)
Year: 1998
Medium: Mixed Media Lithograph
Size: 21.5" x 22"
Frame: 28" x 29" x 3"
Edition: 29/60
Inscription: Signed, dated, and numbered on bottom front margin
Year: 1998
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Sam Gilliam's "Untitled (1998)" mixed media lithograph, showcases the artist's sustained commitment to expanding the expressive and material possibilities of printmaking within the broader field of postwar abstraction. Created in collaboration with the Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper and published by the College Art Association, the work integrates traditional lithographic methods with hand-applied mixed media elements on handmade paper. The result is a richly layered composition whose interplay of color, texture, and rhythm reflects Gilliam's distinctive fusion of Color Field painting, collage, and sculptural form.

The surface of the print reveals Gilliam's characteristic engagement with improvisation and process. Areas of saturated pigment interact with more muted passages, producing a dynamic visual structure that recalls the physicality of his drape paintings and the spatial complexity of his constructed works. By merging media and manipulating the properties of the support, Gilliam transforms the image into a multidimensional field that emphasizes movement, balance, and chromatic tension. This approach underscores his role in challenging conventional boundaries between painting, printmaking, and three-dimensional composition.

Editioned at 29/60, the work is signed, dated, and numbered along the bottom margin. The sheet measures 21.5 x 22 inches, presented in a 28 x 29 x 3 inch blond wood museum frame with plexiglass. Accompanied by a gallery certificate of authenticity, Untitled stands as a significant example of Gilliam's innovative practice in the late 1990s and contributes to his enduring legacy as a pivotal figure in twentieth-century American abstraction.

About Sam Gilliam

Sam Gilliam (1933–2022) was an influential American painter whose experimental approach to color, form, and material profoundly shaped the trajectory of postwar abstraction. Often associated with the Washington Color School, Gilliam expanded the movement's formal concerns through innovative techniques that challenged the boundaries of painting. His development of the unstretched, draped canvas in the mid-1960s marked a turning point in contemporary art, positioning him as a central figure in the evolution of Color Field painting, lyrical abstraction, and process-driven artistic practices.

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Gilliam studied fine art at the University of Louisville before relocating to Washington, D.C. There, he became part of a vibrant community of artists exploring color theory, formal reduction, and new modes of painterly expression. While early works reflected the influence of the Washington Color School, Gilliam soon departed from the tradition by releasing the canvas from the stretcher. His iconic “drape paintings,” suspended freely from walls and ceilings, introduced a sculptural dimension to painting and emphasized the physicality of the medium. This innovation established Gilliam as a leading voice in post-1960s abstraction and contributed significantly to discussions of the painting object, spatial installation, and artistic experimentation.

Gilliam's practice remained deeply exploratory throughout his career. He created beveled-edge canvases, richly textured collages, and large-scale public commissions that reflected his sustained interest in color dynamics, rhythm, and improvisation. His work often incorporated staining, folding, soaking, and layering techniques that mirrored chance-based processes and underscored the artist's engagement with the performative aspects of painting. These qualities positioned Gilliam as a singular figure within American modernism, whose work bridged formal innovation and broader cultural narratives.

Over seven decades, Gilliam exhibited widely in the United States and internationally. His work is held in major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Tate. He represented the United States at the 1972 Venice Biennale and continued to influence successive generations of artists working in abstraction, installation, and material-based practices.

Sam Gilliam's legacy in contemporary art is defined by his willingness to challenge convention and reimagine the possibilities of the painted surface. His contributions to abstract art, combined with his groundbreaking use of draped and sculptural canvases, ensure his lasting significance in the history of modern and contemporary painting.