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Grey Diamond

A work made of oil on canvas, mounted on panel.
© Estate of Ilya Bolotowsky/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

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  • A work made of oil on canvas, mounted on panel.

Date:

1955

Artist:

Ilya Bolotowsky (American, born Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire, now Russia, 1907–1981)

About this artwork

A devotee of Neo-Plasticism—the geometric, nonobjective style espoused by Piet Mondrian—Ilya Bolotowsky began to include the diamond shape in his art in 1947. Bolotowsky believed that this unusual means of presentation created a more spacious composition compared to a square canvas of the same size. Grey Diamond contains many principles of Neo-Plasticism: a lack of depth, the elimination of all representational forms, and carefully balanced color. In embracing the movement, Bolotowsky explained, “Nowadays, when paintings torture the retina, when music gradually destroys the eardrum, there must, all the more, be a need for an art that searches for new ways to achieve harmony and equilibrium.”

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Ilya Bolotowsky

Title

Grey Diamond

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1955

Medium

Oil on canvas, mounted on panel

Dimensions

129.5 × 129.5 cm (51 × 51 in.); At center: W.: 182.9 cm (72 in.)

Credit Line

Walter Aitken and Hyacinth Drechney funds

Reference Number

2006.82

Copyright

© Estate of Ilya Bolotowsky/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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