Head

 

Nathan Oliveira

  1928 - 2010 (biography)

1963  

color monoprint 

12 1/8 x 10" image 

pencil, lower right 

1 of 1 unique 

titled, dated and annotated "Monoprint" 

 

white, laid Japanese hosho 

unique 

artist 

17404 

$5,500.00 

Known initially as a painter, Oliveira also had an interest in printmaking, especially hands on techniques, including lithographs he printed himself. This interest evolved in the early 1970's into the monotypes he is now famous for, experimental and self printed. While studying with Otis Oldfield he first witnessed a technique of "blotting" a wet oil painting with paper, thus creating a "monoprint" such as this, done in 1963. In 1969 he saw deKooning use the same technique which Oliveira tried, and exhibited. He began his fascination and affair with monotype after seeing monoprints by Degas and responding to the immediacy. Oliveira considers this work an early "experiment" and shows his affinity to the German Expressionists while anticipating his mature images of emerging faces and gestural line. This print was from the collection of artist Maurice Kursh.