edition 20/50

Woltjen/Udell Gallery, Edmonton

Private collection, Victoria

Jules Olitski (1922–2007) was a Russian-born American painter, printmaker, and sculptor associated with the Color Field movement and postwar American abstraction. His work is characterized by an exploration of luminous color, atmospheric space, and the expressive potential of surface.

Beauty of Angels (1989), an aquatint on wove paper, reflects this mature approach. The rich, velvety tonal fields of the aquatint are contrasted with incisive, gestural marks created with the Dremel, producing a dialogue between softness and physical texture. Beauty of Angels demonstrates Olitski’s ability to extend the principles of Color Field painting into printmaking, transforming abstract color into a sensuous and contemplative experience.