Multiplicity

Media - 2000.53 - SAAM-2000.53_1 - 13628

Chuck Close, Self Portrait, 2000, color screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum,Museum purchase 2000.53.

Multiplicity features 83 works from the museum’s permanent collection by such outstanding contemporary artists as John Baldessari, John Cage, Vija Celmins, Chuck Close, R. Luke DuBois, Sol LeWitt, Brice Marden, Julie Mehretu, Martin Puryear, Susan Rothenberg, Kiki Smith, and Kara Walker. The concept of making multiple images from the same matrix has been integral to printmaking ever since the earliest prints were pulled from woodblocks and metal plates in the fifteenth century. Each impression is considered to be an original work of art.

Description

Many of the artists in this exhibition have expanded the idea of multiplicity beyond editions of identical impressions by creating series, sequences, and images that comprise numerous parts. They explore repetition, pairing, and variations on a theme as artistic strategies. Implicit in their exploration of multiplicity is a challenge to rarity and uniqueness as determinants of value.

This exhibition brings together a selection of prints by artists for whom the concept of multiplicity in its many forms provides a touchstone for their artistic expression. These prints are the result of collaboration between the artist and professional printers who help realize the artist’s vision. They question the authority of the unique masterpiece and alter the stereotype of the artist working alone in the studio.

Nearly half of the prints included in the exhibition are recent acquisitions. Joann Moser, senior curator, selected the works for display.

Visiting Information

November 11, 2011 March 11, 2012
Open Daily, 11:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m
Free Admission

Online Gallery

Nicholas Africano, Flesh, Armor, 1986, color lithograph and screenprint on paper with handmade cast paper collage, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Glen D. Nelson, M.D., 1998.57.2, © 1986, Vermillion Editions Limited, Inc. and Nicholas Africano; Minneapolis, MN
Flesh, Armor
Date1986
color lithograph and screenprint on paper with handmade cast paper collage
Not on view
Gregory Amenoff, Chamber, 1985, color woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1991.94.2, © 1985, Gregory Amenoff
Chamber
Date1985
color woodcut on paper
Not on view
John Baldessari, Black Dice, 1982, color aquatint, photo etching, soft ground and lift ground on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1993.31.1A-I, © 1982, Peter Blum Edition and Blumarts, Inc., New York
Black Dice
Date1982
color aquatint, photo etching, soft ground and lift ground on paper
Not on view
Robert Bechtle, Sunset Intersection, 1983, color soft-ground etching on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible in part by the Lichtenberg Family Foundation and the Director's Discretionary Fund, 1992.94, © 1983, Robert Bechtle
Sunset Intersection
Date1983
color soft-ground etching on paper
Not on view
José Bedia, Dobles, 1994, lithograph and chine colle on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David M. Maxfield, 1999.40, © Jose Bedia and Vinalhaven Press
Dobles
Date1994
lithograph and chine colle on paper
Not on view
Ross Bleckner, Just Because #2, 1997, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Reverend F. Ward Denys, 1999.3, © 1997, Robert Lococa Pres. Lacoca-Mulder, Inc.
Just Because #2
Date1997
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Louise Bourgeois, Ste. Sebastienne, 1992, drypoint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Mrs. E. C. Hobson, 1997.9, © 1992, Louise Bourgeois
Ste. Sebastienne
Date1992
drypoint on paper
Not on view
John Buck, Father and Son, 1986, color woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Lichtenberg Family Foundation, 1989.33, © 1986, John Buck
Father and Son
Date1986
color woodcut on paper
Not on view
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), Day One, 1978, hard ground etching and drypoint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Moses Lasky, 2004.32.5.1
Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), Day One
Date1978
hard ground etching and drypoint
Not on view
Vija Celmins, Night Sky, 2005, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by David S. Purvis, 2009.4.1, © 2005, Vija Celmins and b x p, inc.
Night Sky
Date2005
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Vija Celmins, Ocean Surface, 2006, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by David S. Purvis, 2009.4.2, © 2006, Vija Celmins and b x p, inc.
Ocean Surface
Date2006
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Enrique Chagoya, Illegal Alien's Guide to the Concept of Relative Surplus Value, 2009, color lithograph on Amate paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2010.26, © 2009, Shark's Ink
Illegal Alien’s Guide to the Concept of Relative Surplus…
Date2009
color lithograph on Amate paper
Not on view
Chuck Close, Self Portrait, 2000, color screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 2000.53, © 2000, Chuck Close
Self Portrait
Date2000
color screenprint on paper
Not on view
Jim Dine, Singing and Printing I, 2001, unique monoprint woodcut, hand-painted in acrylic, on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Jerome F. Meyer Trust, 2004.22.2
Singing and Printing I
Date2001
unique monoprint woodcut, hand-painted in acrylic, on paper
Not on view
Caio Fonseca, Untitled, 1998, aquatint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David M. Maxfield and museum purchase through the Gene Davis Memorial Fund, 1999.28, © 1998, Pam Paulson/Caio Fonseca
Untitled
Date1998
aquatint on paper
Not on view
Walton Ford, Visitation, 2004, color etching, aquatint, spit-bite and drypoint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2010.3
Visitation
Date2004
color etching, aquatint, spit-bite and drypoint on paper
Not on view
Helen Frankenthaler, Tales of Genji VI, 1998, color woodcut and stencil on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Jerome F. Meyer Trust, 2004.22.3
Tales of Genji VI
Date1998
color woodcut and stencil on paper
Not on view
Jane Hammond, My Heavens!, 2004, color lithograph with silver mylar and collage on Amate paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Louis M. and Sally B. Kaplan and museum purchase through the Lichtenberg Family Foundation, 2008.16, © 2004, Jane Hammond
My Heavens!
Date2004
color lithograph with silver mylar and collage on Amate paper
Not on view
Mary Heilmann, Mint Boy, 1998, color aquatint with spit-bite on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David M. Maxfield, 2000.107
Mint Boy
Date1998
color aquatint with spit-bite on paper
Not on view
Al Held, Almost There, 1989, color aquatint and etching on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tom and Judy Brody, 2010.37.3
Almost There
Artist
Date1989
color aquatint and etching on paper
Not on view
David Hockney, View of the Hotel Well, III, from the series Moving Focus, 1984-1985, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Jerome F. Meyer Trust, 2004.22.1, © 1985, David Hockney
View of the Hotel Well, III, from the series Moving Focus
Date1984-1985
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
David Hockney, Red Celia, from the series Moving Focus, 1984, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of James A. and Marsha Perry Mateyka in memory of Mary and Peter Perry, 2011.17, © 1984, David Hockney
Red Celia, from the series Moving Focus
Date1984
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
Barbara Kruger, Untitled (We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard), 1985, 9 prints, photo-offset lithograph and screenprint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, VR.1986.50A-I
Untitled (We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard)
Date1985
9 prints, photo-offset lithograph and screenprint
Not on view
Sol LeWitt, Wavy Brushstrokes Superimposed #2, 1995, hand-drawn photo transfer with aquatint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mike Wilkins and Sheila Duignan, 2010.34.2, © 1995, The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Wavy Brushstrokes Superimposed #2
Date1995
hand-drawn photo transfer with aquatint on paper
Not on view
Brice Marden, #1, from the Untitled Press Series, 1972, lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the C.K. Williams Foundation and the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2008.9.1
#1, from the Untitled Press Series
Date1972
lithograph on paper
Not on view
Julie Mehretu, Local Calm, 2005, sugar lift aquatint with color aquatint and spit bite aquatint, soft and hard ground etching, and engraving on Gampi paper chine collé, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Lichtenberg Family Foundation, 2006.23, © 2005, Julie Mehretu
Local Calm
Date2005
sugar lift aquatint with color aquatint and spit bite aquatint, soft and hard ground etching, and engraving on Gampi paper chine collé
Not on view
Linn Meyers, Untitled, 2007, sugar lift etching on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Leslie M. Westbrook, 2009.6A-B, © Linn Meyers
Untitled
Date2007
sugar lift etching on paper
Not on view
Elizabeth Murray, #1, 1986, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Holly and Nick Ruffin, 2011.34.7
#1
Date1986
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
Michael Platt, Enough, from the New Orleans Series, 2006, digital pigment print on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Richard E. Brock, 2009.15.1, © 2006, Michael B. Platt
Enough, from the New Orleans Series
Date2006
digital pigment print on paper
Not on view
Judy Pfaff, The Drum and the Dance, 1996, mixed intaglio and lithograph on paper, with artist-designed custom frame, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David M. Maxfield, 1997.76.1
The Drum and the Dance
Date1996
mixed intaglio and lithograph on paper, with artist-designed custom frame
Not on view
Martin Puryear, Karintha, from the portfolio Cane, 2000, woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan and museum purchase through the Lichtenberg Family Foundation, 2002.12.2.1, © 2000 Arion Press
Karintha, from the portfolio Cane
Date2000
woodcut on paper
Not on view
Tim Rollins, Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Representation of Chaos, from the portfolio The Creation, 2004, screenprint with chine collé on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Anne and Ronald Abramson, 2008.37.1.1
Representation of Chaos, from the portfolio The Creation
Date2004
screenprint with chine collé on paper
Not on view
Susan Rothenberg, Mezzo Fist #1, 1990, mezzotint and chine colle on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1991.94.4, © 1990, Susan Rothenberg
Mezzo Fist #1
Date1990
mezzotint and chine colle on paper
Not on view
Susan Rothenberg, Mezzofist #2, 1990, mezzotint with hand-coloring on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Margrit and Jack Vanderryn, 2007.10.2
Mezzofist #2
Date1990
mezzotint with hand-coloring on paper
Not on view
Edward Ruscha, Western Vertical, 1986, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tom and Judy Brody, 1991.43.2, © 1986, Castelli Graphics/Cirrus Editions
Western Vertical
Date1986
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
Edward Ruscha, Western Horizontal, 1986, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Tom and Judy Brody, 1991.43.1, © 1986, Castelli Graphics and Cirrus Editions
Western Horizontal
Date1986
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
Juan Sánchez, Cielo /Tierra / Esperanza, 1990, photolithograph with collograph and stenciled paper pulp on handmade paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Donna Barnard Ari in honor of Susan Sollins, 2005.18A-B, © 1990, Juan Sanchez
Cielo /​Tierra / Esperanza
Date1990
photolithograph with collograph and stenciled paper pulp on handmade paper
Not on view
Sean Scully, Grey Fold, 2007, color lithograph on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 2007.7.3, © 2007, Sean Scully
Grey Fold
Date2007
color lithograph on paper
Not on view
David Shapiro, Savasan 10, 1996, carborundum collagraph, siligraph, relief and aquatint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David M. Maxfield, 2003.80.1, © 1996, David Shapiro
Savasan 10
Date1996
carborundum collagraph, siligraph, relief and aquatint on paper
Not on view
Joel Shapiro, Untitled, 1988, color woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1988.51, ©, 1988, Joel Shapiro
Untitled
Date1988
color woodcut on paper
Not on view
Kiki Smith, Banshee Pearls, 1991, twelve lithographs with aluminum leaf additions on handmade Japanese paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Lichtenberg Family Foundation, 2004.6A-L, © 1991, Kiki Smith and ULAE
Banshee Pearls
Date1991
twelve lithographs with aluminum leaf additions on handmade Japanese paper
Not on view
Lou Stovall, Land Origin, 2005, screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Julia D. Strong Endowment, 2007.19, © 2005, Lou Stovall
Land Origin
Date2005
screenprint on paper
Not on view
Donald Sultan, Black Roses, Nov., 1989, from the suite Black Roses, Dec., 1989, 1989, published 1990, aquatint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1992.25.1, © 1989, Donald Sultan
Black Roses, Nov., 1989, from the suite Black Roses, Dec.,…
Date1989, published 1990
aquatint on paper
Not on view
Kara Walker, Alabama Loyalists Greeting the Federal Gun-Boats, from the portfolio Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War (Annotated), 2005, offset lithograph and screenprint on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2008.19.1.1, © 2005 Kara Walker
Alabama Loyalists Greeting the Federal Gun-Boats, from the…
Date2005
offset lithograph and screenprint on paper
Not on view
Andrea Way, Cicada, 1992, screenprint, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Barry and Beverly Pierce, 1992.68, © 1992, Andrea Way
Cicada
Date1992
screenprint
Not on view
Terry Winters, Novalis, 1983-1989, color etching, aquatint and spit bite on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1991.94.5, © 1989, Terry Winters
Novalis
Date1983-1989
color etching, aquatint and spit bite on paper
Not on view
Terry Winters, Rhizome, 1998, linoleum cut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of David M. Maxfield, 1998.129
Rhizome
Date1998
linoleum cut on paper
Not on view

Artists

John Baldessari
born National City, CA 1931-died Los Angeles, CA 2020

John Baldessari was born in National City, on San Diego Bay in California in 1931. He enrolled at San Diego State College in 1949 and received his BA in painting in 1953. He also studied at Berkeley in 1953.

John Cage
born Los Angeles, CA 1912-died 1992
Vija Celmins
born Riga, Latvia 1939
Media - 2000.53 - SAAM-2000.53_1 - 13628
Chuck Close
born Monroe, WA 1940-died Oceanside, NY 2021

Chuck Close was born in Monroe, Washington, in 1940 and received a BA degree from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1962.

R. Luke DuBois
born Morristown, NJ 1975
Media - portrait_image_113298.jpg - 90214
Sol LeWitt
born Hartford, CT 1928-died New York City 2007

Sol LeWitt was a leader in the growth of conceptual art during the 1960s and 1970s. This was a reaction to the emotional qualities of abstract expressionism, and focused on the ideas behind the art as opposed to the actual objects.

Brice Marden
born Bronxville, NY 1938-died Tivoli, NY 2023
Julie Mehretu
born Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1970
Martin Puryear
born Washington, DC 1941

One of the most important American sculptors working today, Martin Puryear (born 1941) is known for refined, handmade constructions, primarily in wood. Puryear's abstract forms, while evocative and familiar, elude specific or singular interpretations.

Susan Rothenberg
born Buffalo, NY 1945-died Galisteo, NM 2020
Kiki Smith
born Nuremberg, Germany 1954
Kara Walker
born Stockton, CA 1969