Robert Kipniss (American b. 1931) Essence"" Color Lithograph, 1980 Offered without a mat, Full Sheet, Excellent Condition! Signed in Pencil, Edition 143/175 Sheet Size: 7 1/16 x 6" (17.9 x 15.3 cm) Stone Size: 4 x 3" (10.4 x 7.5 cm) Published by SAGA (Society Of American Graphic Artists) Painter, Printmaker & Poet - was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1931. His parents were artists. His mother worked as a fashion artist, & his father designed pages for Sears, Roebuck & Co. On Sundays his father would paint. Kipniss began drawing at an early age, & from the age of three on, he spent most of his time drawing. His parents moved to Laurelton, New York, in 1936 after the birth of his sister. It was here that he found his love for the woods & trees. He spent a great deal of time playing by himself in the woods near his home. Kipniss has always shunned formal art training. Therefore, in 1947 when his mother encouraged him to attend Saturday drawing classes at the Art Students League, he would only attend classes without an instructor. It was at the League that he was first exposed to figure drawing. High school years were not a strong period for Kipniss. He was more interested in drawing, reading, & playing pool than studying & doing homework. He was finally accepted at Wittenberg College (now Wittenberg University), in Springfield, Ohio. in college, Kipniss discovered an interest in learning & became more serious about his studies. It was during his first year that he began writing poetry. in his second year his roommate was a French exchange student, Pierre Lhomme, who introduced him to French films. in 1950 he decided to be a poet & transferred to the University of Iowa to major in literature. As with art, Kipniss did not want to be taught but to learn by working, so he avoided creative writing. To continue his love of drawing & painting, he made an arrangement with Professor Stuart Edie to attend painting & studio classes but not to be taught. He accepted that he would be given a failing grade if it was viewed that he did not make sufficient progress on his own. The next year he entered a painting competition & was awarded his first one-artist exhibition at a 57th Street Gallery in New York City. After graduating with his masters from the University of Iowa, Kipniss married Jean Prutton & moved to New York City. At this time, the art world was dominated by Abstract Expressionism, & he was unable to get a gallery to represent him. in 1956 he was drafted into the Army & was stationed in Fort Lee, Virginia. After his discharge in 1958 he & his wife returned to New York City. He was soon represented by The Contemporaries on 77th Street & Madison Avenue who purchased a few paintings & scheduled a one-artist exhibition for 1959. in 1961 after the birth of his second child, Kipniss moved his studio out of his apartment & got an evening job working for the Post Office. The working hours & family time cut into his creative time, so he decided to stop writing
