Art Whisper
Art Whisper
Phyllis Seltzer, 1950
Stop to appreciate how Phyllis Seltzer uses colored pencil to create a vibrant, complex abstract world, making a seemingly simple medium feel monumental and dynamic.
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In Phyllis Seltzer's "Prismacolor X," a vibrant explosion of color dominates the white paper, creating a sense of dynamic energy. The composition is a dense network of overlapping lines and shapes, primarily in shades of red, blue, yellow, and green, which seem to both collide and interweave. This early work, created in 1950, predates much of her later printmaking, offering a glimpse into her foundational explorations of abstract form and color through a more immediate medium. The colored pencil lends a unique texture, allowing for both bold, saturated areas and more delicate, feathery strokes. It feels like a visual representation of sound or motion, capturing a moment of chaotic harmony that invites close inspection to unravel its intricate layers.
The way colors blend and overlap, creating new hues.
The varied pressure of the colored pencil lines, from light to dark.
How the white paper peeks through, adding luminosity.
Stop to appreciate how Phyllis Seltzer uses colored pencil to create a vibrant, complex abstract world, making a seemingly simple medium feel monumental and dy…
Phyllis Seltzer turned city skylines and fire into bold prints, working across woodcut, lithography, and heat transfer well into her 70s.
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