Mixografia is pleased to present Bloom by Donald Sultan. The exhibition will open to the public on March 25th, 2017 from 11am-6pm at Mixografia, located at 1419 East Adams Boulevard in Downtown Los Angeles, 90011. The prints will be on view from March 25th, 2017 through May 6th, 2017.

Sultan’s artworks are rich in color and texture. He is known for his iconic, abstract poppy flowers. The poppies are large in scale and overlay a minimal background, often made from tar. The Mixografia prints Blue Flowers, Yellow Flowers, and Red Flowers exhibit poppies in their most simple shapes: Sultan discards the leaves and stems, and focuses on filling the space with the marvelous color of the petal. Often times the flowers expand off the page, but the focal point lies within the delicate flocking of the poppy’s pistil. Sultan’s artworks are often inspired by materials, such as linoleum, wall spackle, and tar. His use of these and other unconventional materials often associate him with artists from the Arte Povera movement of the 1960’s. In the background of Sultan’s prints, Mixografia’s paper and ink imitate the appearance of tar.

The exhibition will also include Japanese Pines and other artworks which are inspired by the Japanese tradition of Noh Theater. In the Noh Theater, an image of a pine tree is a permanent fixture of the stage’s set. The influence of theater on Sultan’s work stems from childhood; his mother was an actress and Sultan often participated in local theatrical productions.

Sultan’s artworks were also swayed by traditional Japanese woodblock prints. In similar style of woodblock carving, he carved the tar to reveal the image. In White Pines and Japanese Lanterns the positive and negative space is very relevant to the imagery. The prints maintain a “carved” feel through the depth, detail and texture of the prints’ tar-like striations.

Sultan (b. 1951) holds a BFA degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1973 and an MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1975. Sultan has earned honorary doctorate degrees from Corcoran School of Art, Washington D.C., New York Academy of Art, NY, and University of North Carolina, Asheville. His solo exhibitions include the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, The Brooklyn Museum, New York and many more.