Polly Apfelbaum | Targets

Polly Apfelbaum has created two editions alongside a series of monoprints, all exploring the motif or the target: On Target, Sun Target, and Target Practice Monoprints. Printed as woodblock reliefs, the images feature precise concentric circles overlaid on a square – though in much different scales. On Target, a portfolio of six works measuring 25 x 25 inches each, is available as an edition of twenty-five, and Sun Target, a series of three works measuring 59 ¾ x 59 ¾ inches as an edition of three.

Produced with such foundational configurations and hues, these new prints are resolutely abstract. At the same time, as with so much the artist’s work, they reference an array of sources, both high and low, that invoke endless associations including scientific illustrations of the cosmos as well as bulls eyes that are used in many popular sports. Engaging in art history, these prints converse with color theory and the paintings of such figures as Jasper Johns and Kenneth Noland, as well as with Apfelbaum’s larger practice; these targets echo recent rug works that she created in collaboration with weavers in Mexico as well as the circular motifs that have recurred throughout her career, from her Wallflowers of the early 1990s to her later “fallen paintings” that expand organically in concentric spirals on the floor.

SUN TARGETS

More than four times larger in size at sixty inches squared, Apfelbaum’s Sun Targets begin with a similar round structure. Unlike On Target, her chromatic experiments in these monumental woodblock prints occur outside the circle more so than within it.  Eleven rings in a selection of tertiary colors orbit a small, central area of yellow with a light-gray circumference. Inked in a flat, even manner, these massive interior woodblocks are a constant across the three works. Apfelbaum has altered the background of these prints to juxtapose the vibrant circle against each of the three primary colors—red, blue, and yellow. These changes to the exterior surroundings drastically alter the overall impact of the images, demonstrating how context and relationship can transform our perceptions. The imagery in Sun Targets is tied to Apfelbaum’s concurrent body of work, derived specifically from her show Waiting for the UFOs at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. The show featured multiple installations and floor pieces, including three carpets woven by women in Oaxaca, Mexico with large targets which would then become the inspiration for this edition in both scale and color.

TARGET PRACTICE

Alongside these two editions, Apfelbaum has produced a series of woodblock monoprints titled Target Practice, each measuring 14 x 14 inches. As alluded to in their title, Apfelbaum has used these monoprints to further explore color combinations by changing the background of a central target which remains constant throughout the series. These backgrounds extend beyond the color spectrums seen in her two editions, juxtaposing her target motif with rich blues, pale yellows, lavenders, browns, and beyond. Some appear playful and bright, others subdued – each color combination brings a different life to the prints, influencing the perception of the inner motif despite its consistency throughout the series.