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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.
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On Target | Portfolio of Six Woodblock Prints
ON TARGET
In her edition On Target with Durham Press, Polly Apfelbaum has seized upon the graphic power of fundamental geometric shapes, creating distilled compositions that explore the possibilities of elemental color schemes. The entire portfolio was produced on handmade Japanese paper with the same eight woodblocks, and the largest of which – the square background – appears as the same shade of deep midnight blue across the suite. Rendered with crisp lines and flat colors, the prints are precise and clear but far from mechanical; the paper’s varied texture and rough edges lend them a decidedly human touch. Within the circles, Apfelbaum takes the viewer on short walks around the color wheel, moving through it in measured, clockwise or counterclockwise steps. Depending on whether the eye travels inward or outward, the works provide contrasting impressions of form and movement. They seem to be concave or convex, to expand or contract, or to lead us on a journey of descent or ascent—like Divine Comedy in polychrome.
The chromatic scale developed specifically for Apfelbaum extends the complete color spectrum by expanding each color into five different hues. Each hue has an equal change between them, included between the colors themselves to create a looping gradation of colors. The six prints are linked by this scale within its outer five rings – the first print moves from green to orange, with the second print starting its outer ring with the same orange the first finished with, a pattern that continues throughout the prints. This systematic use of color creates a portfolio of prints that at first appear disparate in color but are in fact inherently tied together.
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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.
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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.
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On Target
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Polly Apfelbaum
On Target - Yellow, 2019 Woodblock
Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi, White 536gsm
25 x 25 in
(63.5 x 63.5 cm)
Edition of 25 -
Polly Apfelbaum
On Target - Orange, 2019 Woodblock
Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi, White 536gsm
25 x 25 in
(63.5 x 63.5 cm)
Edition of 25 -
Polly Apfelbaum
On Target - Red, 2019 Woodblock
Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi, White 536gsm
25 x 25 in
(63.5 x 63.5 cm)
Edition of 25 -
Polly Apfelbaum
On Target - Purple, 2019 Woodblock
Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi, White 536gsm
25 x 25 in
(63.5 x 63.5 cm)
Edition of 25 -
Polly Apfelbaum
On Target - Blue, 2019 Woodblock
Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi, White 536gsm
25 x 25 in
(63.5 x 63.5 cm)
Edition of 25 -
Polly Apfelbaum
On Target - Green, 2019 Woodblock
Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi, White 536gsm
25 x 25 in
(63.5 x 63.5 cm)
Edition of 25
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SUN TARGETS
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Polly Apfelbaum
Sun Target - Blue, 2019 Woodblock, Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi 536gsm
59 3/4 x 59 3/4 inches
(151.8 x 151.8 cm)
Edition of 3 -
Polly Apfelbaum
Sun Target - Red, 2019 Woodblock, Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi 536gsm
59 3/4 x 59 3/4 inches
(151.8 x 151.8 cm)
Edition of 3 -
Polly Apfelbaum
Sun Target - Yellow, 2019 Woodblock, Fuji DHM-11 Kozo Misumi 536gsm
59 3/4 x 59 3/4 inches
(151.8 x 151.8 cm)
Edition of 3
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Polly Apfelbaum | Targets
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