Late 20th-Century Abstract Mixed Media Painting “Aegean” by S. Martin

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On offer is a late Mid-century Modern abstraction titled “Aegean” created by S. Martin. The Aegean Sea region is rich … Read more On offer is a late Mid-century Modern abstraction titled “Aegean” created by S. Martin. The Aegean Sea region is rich with ancient Cycladic art, sun-bleached landscapes and deep blue-green waters. By pairing earthy ochres, rich terracotta-reds, and deep volcanic blacks with a stark sea-green border, the artist has used color-field abstraction to evoke the feeling, textures and ancient history of the Greek islands without painting a literal landscape.

STYLE: This piece also exhibits strong ties to Abstract Expressionism and Biomorphic Modernism. The work’s title heavily informs how the latter style operates. The composition avoids hard geometric lines, opting instead for organic, fluid shapes that mimic forms found in nature, cells, or ancient artifacts.

MATERIAL: The piece is a mixed media work combining printmaking and paint. It primarily utilizes a print base—likely a lithograph or a serigraph—which explains the soft, dappled textures seen in the brown and tan sections. This base has been embellished by hand with acrylic paint, namely for the solid green border, the heavy black circle, and the dark crescent shape in the lower left corner. The work was created on heavy watercolor paper or artist's illustration board. The cream-colored, fibrous texture with slight water staining is characteristic of a thick heavy-weight paper or mat board. The artist painted directly onto this sheet, leaving a portion of the raw paper visible as part of the composition's background.

FRAME: The piece is housed in a sleek, minimalist chrome metal section frame. This specific type of thin, metallic framing became immensely popular in the late 1960s and 1970s for displaying contemporary abstract prints and works on paper. Rather than a traditional fabric or cardboard mat, the bold dark green frame border is painted directly onto the paper sheet surrounding the central abstract composition

ARTIST: The reverse features a typed gallery or inventory label reading "S. MARTIN / 'AEGEAN'" taped to the upper left, and the artist's name or signature similar to the initials on the front: “Aegean” / S. Martin ’70.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Initials/date in white field, lower left (photo #6). Image dimensions: 19.5 inches high x 27.5 inches wide. See less