
© Al Held Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

© Al Held Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.


Al Held
American, 1928-2005
Bastion, 1967
acrylic on canvas
support with hangers and/or oz-clip hardware: 114 x 114 x 2 1/2 inches (289.56 x 289.56 x 6.35 cm); support: 114 x 114 inches (289.56 x 289.56 cm)
Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York
Gift of the artist, 1986
1986:6
More Details
Inscriptions
Provenance
November 17, 1986, donated by the artist to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, BuffaloClass
Work Type
Information may change due to ongoing research.Glossary of Terms
Al Held created distinctly dramatic paintings, presenting his seemingly impenetrable compositions—from early gestural works to crisp geometric abstractions—on a theatrical scale. Bastion is part of the artist’s “Alphabet” series, which he made between 1961 and 1967. Held based these works more or less directly on the geometry of letters, bringing together aspects of Minimalism and Color Field painting via a hard-edged motif. Here, the edge of the canvas barely contains the image. A thick, dark-green line slinks across the bottom and up the right edge of the picture. Two small white squares push against this line from the bottom left and top right corners, creating tension. The title of the work, which refers to a fortified place, underscores this sentiment.
Label from Giant Steps: Artists and the 1960s, June 30–December 30, 2018