Footnotes

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Provenance
Mildred Olive Kane, Monmouth, Oregon.
Private collection, Denver.
Private collection, California.
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2019.

Exhibited
New Mexico, The Harwood Museum of Art, Agnes Martin: Before the Grid, February 25 - June 17, 2012 (later traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico) (illustrated p. 59).
Buffalo, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Agnes Martin: The New York - Taos Connection (1947-1957), January 26 - May 12, 2013 (later traveled to Tacoma, Washington).

Literature
C. Rosenberger, Drawing the Line: The Early Work of Agnes Martin, Berkeley, 2016, no. 65 (illustrated p. 114).
T. Bell (ed.), Agnes Martin Catalogue Raisonné, New York, 2017, no. 1958.023.


Agnes Martin is a rarity amongst her peers. She was a virtuoso of geometry and scale, constructing paintings with a lyrical sensitivity and a searing sense of space and color that went starkly against the popular grain of splashy abstraction. Often associated with Minimalism, her paintings and drawings went further than the formal debates that raged in period, having more in common with the Transcendentalist group, influenced as she was by Taoism and Zen Buddhism. Celebrated for the meditative and introspective qualities her paintings evoke, she stands apart from the likes of Ellsworth Kelly and Jack Youngerman – with whom she would share studio spaces at Coenties Slip upon her return to New York in 1957. This transitional period marked a crucial turning point in Martin's career, sparking artistic breakthroughs and placing her squarely amongst New York's avant-garde. Untitled, from 1958, represents a seminal and striking culmination of not only this period but her prior education in New Mexico, the experiences of which laid the groundwork for her celebrated career. 1958 and Martin's time at the foot of Manhattan in Coenties Slip is arguably 'year one' of her mature practice, and the present, large-scale canvas reveals an ambitious and astute resolve that Martin would continue to refine over the course of her career.

Martin's decision to return to New York in 1957 came after years of practice in New Mexico, where she had found inspiration in the desert landscape; the sense of vastness, and the silent power of nature. Moving to Lower Manhattan at the behest of Betty Parsons, with whom she lived for a short time while settling. Parsons, owner of her synonymous gallery, was a respected figure in the art world, recognized for championing Abstract Expressionists such as Jackson Pollock and Barnett Newman. She joined a burgeoning art scene that was shifting from the emotive energy of Abstract Expressionism toward a more intentional style. This environment, the focal point of which was Coenties Slip, a small neighborhood in New York's Financial District, provided her the opportunity to experiment with and develop the delicate grid structures and contemplative compositions for which she became known. Her work diverged from the bold and expressive gestures of her peers, instead embodying a quieter, introspective energy that sought to capture universal, spiritual themes.

In 1958, Betty Parsons Gallery hosted Martin's first solo exhibition. By supporting Martin's innovative and minimalist work, Parsons provided a critical platform that brought her forceful, contemplative abstractions to a larger audience. The exhibition highlighted Martin's unique approach to abstraction, featuring muted grids, soft color palettes, and subtle lines. Her work exuded a calm, understated power that invited viewers to find peace in its simplicity and, while it certainly illustrated the influence of Martin's recent move to New York, it also drew upon the inextricable tie she felt to New Mexico's landscape. This exhibition not only marked a pivotal moment in Martin's career but also in the broader art world, as her minimalist aesthetic foreshadowed the rising trend toward minimalism and conceptual art.

A significant influence on Martin's approach was Josef Albers, who had instructed her during her time at the University of New Mexico. Albers was deeply interested in color theory, perception, and the psychological effects of form. His book Interaction of Color would become a foundational text in modern art education, emphasizing how colors and forms can shift meaning and appearance depending on their context. This idea of subtle shifts resonated with Martin, who applied it to her carefully constructed grids in her later body of work, focusing on the impact of minute variations. Albers's teachings reinforced the idea that simple elements, precisely arranged, could create a powerful emotional experience. His influence can be seen in Martin's dedication to repetition and restraint, which became trademarks of her style. Albers also stressed that art could be a meditative, reflective practice, encouraging artists to embrace precision and consistency, values that Martin embedded in her grid-based works.

Another critical influence on Martin was Mark Rothko, whose work explored the emotional depth that could be achieved through color and abstraction. Rothko's large-scale color-field paintings aimed to envelop viewers, creating immersive and contemplative spaces. This intentional approach had a profound impact on Martin, who was interested in creating art that evoked a sense of tranquility and transcendence. While Rothko's paintings are known for their bold color blocks, Martin would develop her style to pursue a similarly meditative quality through subtle grid lines and monochromatic tones. Like Rothko, she sought to evoke a quiet emotional resonance, encouraging viewers to engage with her work on an introspective level. Rothko's influence is evident in Martin's emphasis on stillness and the spiritual potential of abstract forms. Her work, much like Rothko's, invites viewers to step into a contemplative space, bridging minimalism with deeper emotional and spiritual experiences.

Martin's time in New York in the late 1950s reflects a dedication to capturing the universal through simplicity and a marriage between the influence of her time in New Mexico with the excitement and growth opportunities of being surrounded by established artists in Coenties Slip. Through her calm, grid-based compositions, Martin's body of work transcends the boundaries of traditional minimalism, engaging viewers in an experience that is as meditative as it is visually profound. Her legacy endures as one of serene strength and spiritual resonance, drawing viewers into an intimate dialogue with the subtle beauty of minimalism.

Agnes Martin was one of the most influential painters of her generation whose transcendent legacy is hard to overestimate amongst the avant-garde of the twentieth century. Today her works reside in international collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Centre Pompidou, Paris, the Dia Art Foundation, New York, the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Tate, London, among others. She was awarded a National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1998 and was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2004, the year of her passing. Martin was an artist who adopted a contemplative vision of nature and the world around her, fusing it in her art to create sublime but simple works of transcendental beauty. Completely fresh to market, the present painting wonderfully demonstrates the nascent synthesis of these ideas at a key moment in her career.