Bidspirit auction | Kathleen Gemberling Adkison ”Basalt Edge”

Kathleen Gemberling Adkison ”Basalt Edge” Painting - Kathleen Gemberling Adkison (American, 1917-2010). Oil on canvas painting titled ”Basalt Edge, ” depicting a rich, vibrant abstraction. Signed along the lower right. Titled along the verso. Provenance: Distinguished Corporate Collection. Lot essay: Among the first American artists to abandon traditional easels, Kathleen Gemberling Adkison was a prominent abstract expressionist artist who drew deep inspiration from the natural world. Her lifelong reverence for nature began with childhood family excursions and later found expression through her art. In 1960, she began studying under Mark Tobey, a major influence on Jackson Pollock; Tobey would become her most impactful mentor. Like Pollock, Adkison laid her canvases on the floor, brushing, pooling, pouring, and dripping rich layers of paint to create intricate abstractions. She translated the textures of rocks, trees, and plains encountered on her hikes into abstract forms, infusing her work with an ecological mysticism. Though she rarely discussed her paintings in spiritual terms, her art vividly reflects a profound devotion to the natural world. Unframed; height: 48 in x width: 70 in. Framed; height: 50 in x width: 71 1/2 in x depth: 1 1/2 in. Condition: The colors are bold and bright. There are no tears or losses. No signs of restoration when inspected under UV light. The canvas is slightly uneven along the corners. Some wear to the frame, including small chips. Not inspected out of frame.