Donald Sultan
12 Colors, 2007
Though Donald Sultan portrayed a variety of flowers throughout his career, the Pop artist is most …
In 12 Colors, Donald Sultan presents twelve variations of the same poppy form in bright colors …
Donald Sultan’s large-scale still life paintings are filled with rich iconography—provocative objects, like bulbous fruits, set against a tar-black background. Although primarily classified as a still lifes, Sultan maintains that his works (despite their representational objects—flowers, lemons, eggs, buttons) are first and foremost abstract. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Sultan moved to New York City in 1975 upon completion of his advanced studies. He is recognized as a painter, printmaker, and sculptor, and best known for his large compositions made following a unique technique: in place of canvas, Sultan covers masonite with 12-inch vinyl floor tiles, from which he cuts geometric and organic forms. Sultan fills the negative spaces with tar or plaster, followed by a layer of paint; his resulting images are distinctively textured and equally balance the contrast of positive and negative space.
Though Donald Sultan portrayed a variety of flowers throughout his career, the Pop artist is most celebrated for his pared-down poppies. These flowers epitomize the Pop art aesthetic: simplified, graphic, and easy to reproduce. To create his poppies, Sultan revived the dated tradition of Western still life painting …
In 12 Colors, Donald Sultan presents twelve variations of the same poppy form in bright colors against black backdrops. The black is made from nine different layers of color, that are sanded to mimic the ‘feel’ of tar. The poppies’ petals are also made of multiple layers of color with an enamel center. With this work, …
Donald Sultan’s large-scale still life paintings are filled with rich iconography—provocative objects, like bulbous fruits, set against a tar-black background. Although primarily classified as a still lifes, Sultan maintains that his works (despite their representational objects—flowers, lemons, eggs, buttons) are first and foremost abstract. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Sultan moved to New York City in 1975 upon completion of his advanced studies. He is recognized as a painter, printmaker, and sculptor, and best known for his large compositions made following a unique technique: in place of canvas, Sultan covers masonite with 12-inch vinyl floor tiles, from which he cuts geometric and organic forms. Sultan fills the negative spaces with tar or plaster, followed by a layer of paint; his resulting images are distinctively textured and equally balance the contrast of positive and negative space.
