Alice Baber Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Alice Baber Art Value Price Guide

Mar. 12, 2025
Alice Baber, The Blue Dance Floats to the Top (from the Sacred Spaces series)
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Alice Baber The Blue Dance Floats to the Top (from the Sacred Spaces series) 1981 watercolor on Arches 30 h x 41.5 w in (76 x 105 cm) Signed and dated to lower right '© Alice Baber 1981'. Signed, titled and dated to verso '© Alice Baber 1981 Sacred Spaces Series The Blue Dance Floats to the Top'. This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.
Rago Arts and Auction Center
Mar. 12, 2025
Alice Baber, High Noon of the Jaguar's Cave (from the Sacred Space series)
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Alice Baber High Noon of the Jaguar's Cave (from the Sacred Space series) 1980 watercolor on Arches 29.75 h x 41.5 w in (76 x 105 cm) Signed, titled and dated to upper left verso '© Alice Baber 1980 Sacred Space Series High Noon of the Jaguar's Cave'. This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.
Rago Arts and Auction Center
Nov. 21, 2024
The Circle of the Garden Moves on the River
Est: $70,000 - $100,000
Infinite Color: Alice Baber from the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, Sold to Benefit Permanent Collections Acquisitions and Care Alice Baber 1928 - 1982 The Circle of the Garden Moves on the River signed and dated 78 (lower left) acrylic on canvas 36 by 78 in. 91.4 by 198.1 cm. Executed in 1978.
Sotheby's
Nov. 14, 2024
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982) The Light Of The River, 1979
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982) The Light Of The River, 1979 oil on canvas signed Baber and dated (lower right); signed, titled and dated (verso) 30 x 40 inches.
Freeman’s | Hindman
Nov. 13, 2024
Alice Baber, The Bridge of the Jaguar's Dream
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
Alice Baber The Bridge of the Jaguar's Dream 1981 oil on canvas 30.125 h x 50 w in (77 x 127 cm) Signed and dated to lower left 'Alice Baber 81'. Signed, titled and dated to verso 'Alice Baber 1981 The Bridge of the Jaguar's Dream'. Provenance: Galerie Georges Fall, Paris | Private Collection, Paris This work will ship from New York City.
Rago Arts and Auction Center
Nov. 02, 2024
ALICE BABER, (American, 1928-1982), The Blue Song of The Tree, 1981, watercolor on paper, sheet: 29 3/4 x 41 3/4 in., frame: 31 x 43 in.
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
ALICE BABER (American, 1928-1982) The Blue Song of The Tree 1981, watercolor on paper signed, dated, titled, and located Alice Baber, 1981 "The Blue Song of the Tree" Sacred Space Series Summer - Sag Harbor verso upper left signed Alice Baber 1981 lower left, in red triangle
Grogan & Company
Oct. 24, 2024
ALICE BABER, American 1928-1982, "The Golden Flag of the Jaguar", 1981, watercolor on paper, 22 3/4 x 29 3/4 in. (57.8 x 75.6 cm.), Frame: 29 x 37 x 1 1/2 in. (73.7 x 94 x 3.8 cm.)
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
ALICE BABER American, 1928-1982 "The Golden Flag of the Jaguar", 1981 watercolor on paper signed and dated lower left "Alice Baber 1981", signed, dated, and titled on the reverse, inscribed on the reverse "Sacred Space Series"
Shannon's
Oct. 13, 2024
AMERICAN ABSTRACT PAINTING BY ALICE BABER SIGNED
Est: $100 - $150
Alice Baber, American, 1928 to 1982, a watercolor painting on paper depicting an abstract composition. Signed in pencil lower right. Matted and framed. Alice Baber was an abstract expressionist painter who worked in oil and watercolor. She was educated in the United States and in the 1950s and 1960s she studied and lived in Paris. Mid Century American Paintings And Art Collectibles.
Antique Arena Inc
Oct. 10, 2024
Alice Baber, Dark Leap to Light
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
(New York/Illinois, 1928-1982) abstract composition, 1976, signed upper left "Baber 76", signed and titled twice verso canvas, oil on canvas, 35-7/8 x 74 in.; lattice type frame, 36-3/4 x 75-1/2 x 1-1/2 in. Provenance: Alice Baber (1928-1982), New York, New York; purchased by David R. Baker, Birmingham, Alabama, 1980; by bequest to the Birmingham Museum of Art; Property of the Birmingham Museum of Art sold to benefit the Baker Acquisition Fund
Brunk Auctions
Sep. 27, 2024
The Light Center of the Pink Mountain
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
Alice Baber 1928 - 1982 The Light Center of the Pink Mountain signed, titled and dated 1977 (on the overlap) oil on canvas 30 by 40 in. 76.2 by 101.6 cm. Executed in 1977.
Sotheby's
Aug. 13, 2024
Alice Baber (1928-1982), Abstract
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982) Abstract Watercolor on heavy Arches paper Signed in the lower right corner: Baber
John Moran Auctioneers
May. 14, 2024
Lavender and Violet Crossing Blue
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
Alice Baber 1928 - 1982 Lavender and Violet Crossing Blue signed and dated '69 (lower right); signed, titled and dated 1969 (on the overlap); signed, titled and dated 1969 (on the stretcher) acrylic on canvas 65 by 95 ½ in. 165.1 by 242.6 cm. Executed in 1969.
Sotheby's
May. 04, 2024
ALICE BABER, (American, 1928-1982), Druid Circles, 1967, watercolor on paper, 30 x 22 in.
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
ALICE BABER (American, 1928-1982) Druid Circles 1967, watercolor on paper signed Baber lower left; signed, titled, and dated verso
Grogan & Company
May. 02, 2024
ALICE BABER, American 1928-1982, "The Ringing and The Ringing", 1967, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 50 in. (76.2 x 127 cm.), Frame: 30 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 50 3/4 in. (78.1 x 3.8 x 128.9 cm.)
Est: $60,000 - $80,000
ALICE BABER American, 1928-1982 "The Ringing and The Ringing", 1967 acrylic on canvas signed lower left "Baber", signed, dated, titled, and inscribed on the reverse "1967 Alice Baber New York", inscribed on the reverse "For Charles Craig April 1969"
Shannon's
Mar. 01, 2024
The Flame of the Banner of the Jaguar
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
Alice Baber 1928 - 1982 The Flame of the Banner of the Jaguar signed and dated 81 (lower right); signed, titled and dated 1981 (on the overlap) oil on canvas 30 by 50 in. 76.2 by 127 cm. Executed in 1981.
Sotheby's
Feb. 27, 2024
Alice Baber (1928-1982), "Buried Treasure of the Jaguar," 1978, Watercolor on thick wove paper, Image/Sheet: 30.25" H x 22.25" W
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982) "Buried Treasure of the Jaguar," 1978 Watercolor on thick wove paper Signed and dated in pencil, lower right: © Baber; signed and dated again, titled, and inscribed Sacred Space Series in pencil on the verso of the upper sheet edge
John Moran Auctioneers
Feb. 27, 2024
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982) - Blue Float
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982) - Blue Float Signed ‘Baber’ bottom right; also signed on stretcher verso, and signed again, dated ‘1957’ and titled on canvas overhang verso, acrylic on canvas 10 x 10 in. (25.4 x 25.4cm) Provenance Collection of Harold Rosenberg. The Estate of Harold Rosenberg. Sotheby’s Arcade, New York, sale of June 14, 1995, lot 360/ii (part lot). Acquired directly from the above sale. The Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Exhibition “The Harold and May Rosenberg Collection,” Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, New Jersey, February 4-March 25, 1973, no. 2. Literature The Harold and May Rosenberg Collection, an exhibition brochure, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, 1973, no. 2 (not illustrated). Lot Essay This work will be included in The Alice Baber Project. Baber and Paul Jenkins shared a close personal and professional relationship that lasted for many years. They first met in the late 1950s and quickly formed a bond based on their mutual passion for abstract painting and experimentation with techniques and materials. While they maintained separate artistic practices, their relationship was characterized by collaboration, exchange of ideas, and mutual respect, and the two eventually married in 1964. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Baber and Jenkins often exhibited together and participated in various group shows alongside other prominent artists of their generation. Their work shared certain affinities, such as a focus on luminosity, transparency, and the interplay of color and form. However, both artists had a personal and distinct style and approach to abstraction, with Baber’s work often characterized by structure and Jenkins’s by a fluid, gestural quality. Blue Float, painted in 1967, is a prime example of Baber’s innovative use of color and form. The small, playful canvas is bisected by a stream of calm blue and green ovals, while more vibrant reds and yellows punctuate the space. The colors maintain a soft oval shape throughout, creating a feeling of autonomy, before overlapping and gently blending together. A sense of freedom was essential, not only to Baber’s process but to the experience of her work. Interpretation, too, was a shared responsibility; for the artist, it was up to “the viewer to create part of the meaning.” It is not difficult to imagine why Sidney Rotherg was drawn to this ethereal and color-driven composition, particularly given its small and accessible scale. Like Baber, Jenkins was deeply committed to exploring the expressive potential of color and form in his work. Known for his luminous, fluid compositions, Jenkins developed a signature technique of pouring thinned paint onto canvas, allowing the colors to bleed and merge organically. Sidney Rothberg was likely attracted to Phenomena Shanghai for Scorpio because of the way this work showcases Jenkins’s signature technique. The work, created in 1974, features a stream of deep and rich jewel-tones, which bleed together as they traverse an otherwise empty canvas. Almost echoing a hilly landscape, Jenkins has allowed the colors to flow independently and to create their own forms, while still overlapping and finally blending together, much like the colors in Baber’s Blue Float. Both artists have also allowed their colors to punctuate otherwise empty and stark canvases, thus emphasizing the presence of color and the lack thereof. Although their romantic relationship ended in 1968, Baber and Jenkins remained friends and continued to support each other’s artistic endeavors throughout their lives.
Freeman's | Hindman
Nov. 30, 2023
”Ladder Rising”
Est: €20,000 - €30,000
Signed lower left: Baber. On the overlap as well as on the stretcher in black felt-tip pen titled, signed, inscribed, dated and inscribed with directional instruction: „Ladder Rising“ Alice Baber Paris 1965 TOP. On the stretcher with the labels of the exhibitions Cologne 1966 and Cologne 1971 (see below). Same place inscribed with a note of ownership
Grisebach
Nov. 16, 2023
Ladder Sun Dance
Est: $70,000 - $100,000
Alice Baber 1928 - 1982 Ladder Sun Dance signed, titled and dated 1973 (on the overlap) oil on canvas 55 by 33 in. 139.7 by 83.8 cm. Executed in 1973.
Sotheby's
Nov. 08, 2023
Alice Baber, The Jaguar of the Morning Turns to Summer
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
Alice Baber The Jaguar of the Morning Turns to Summer 1980 oil on canvas 33 h x 55 w in (84 x 140 cm) Signed to verso 'Alice Baber 1980 The Jaguar of the Morning Turns to Summer'. Provenance: William Bunch Auctions and Appraisals, Chadds Ford, PA | Acquired from the previous in 2014 by the present owner
Rago Arts and Auction Center
Nov. 08, 2023
Alice Baber, The Way of the Wind
Est: $60,000 - $80,000
Alice Baber The Way of the Wind 1977 oil on canvas 30 h x 40 w in (76 x 102 cm) Signed and dated to lower left 'Baber 77'. Signed and titled to verso 'The Way of the Wind Alice Baber'. Provenance: The Artist | Private Collection | Sotheby Parke Bernet Inc., New York, 2 - 3 October 1980, Lot 109 | Brian Galleries, Buffalo | Castellani Art Museum, Niagara University, New York | Collection of Dr. Armand J. Castellani | Elite Decorative Arts, Boynton Beach, FL | Acquired from the previous in 2015 by the present owner
Rago Arts and Auction Center
Oct. 26, 2023
ALICE BABER, American 1928-1982, "The Blue Bow of the Jaguar", 1981, oil on canvas, 30 1/4 x 50 1/4 inches (76.8 x 127.6 cm.), Frame: 31 1/2 x 2 x 51 3/4 in. (80 x 5.1 x 131.4 cm.)
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
ALICE BABER American, 1928-1982 "The Blue Bow of the Jaguar", 1981 oil on canvas signed and dated "Baber 81", signed, dated, and titled on the reverse
Shannon's
Oct. 03, 2023
The Golden Ladder to the Mountain
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
Alice Baber 1928 - 1982 The Golden Ladder to the Mountain signed (upper left); signed, titled and dated 1975 (on the overlap) oil on canvas 50 by 30 in. 127 by 76.2 cm. Executed in 1975. This work will be included in The Alice Baber Project at www.alicebaber.com.
Sotheby's
Sep. 28, 2023
Wind Divided Mist the Darker
Est: $60,000 - $80,000
Alice Baber 1928 - 1982 Wind Divided Mist the Darker signed and dated 72 (lower left); signed, titled and dated 72 (on the overlap) oil on canvas 79 ¾ by 80 in. 202.6 by 203.2 cm. Executed in 1972.
Sotheby's
Sep. 16, 2023
ALICE BABER PAINTING ''PATH TO THE LADDER''
Est: $20,000 - $40,000
BABER, Alice, (American, 1928-1982): ''Path to the Ladder'', Oil/Canvas, 24'' x 18'', signed lower left, signed and titled verso on the stretcher and canvas, dated 1972, framed, 24.75'' x 18.75''. Label verso from A.M. Sachs Gallery, New York. Gifted from Abe Sachs to consignor's mother.
Burchard Galleries Inc
Sep. 16, 2023
ALICE BABER ABSTRACT PAINTING
Est: $50,000 - $80,000
BABER, Alice, (American, 1928-1982): Abstract Composition, Oil/Canvas, 39'' x 39'', signed lower right, thin edge frame, 40'' x 40''. Gifted from Abe Sachs (Sachs Gallery, New York) to consignor's mother.
Burchard Galleries Inc
Sep. 16, 2023
ALICE BABER PAINTING "LAVENDER WAYS TO THE SEA"
Est: $50,000 - $80,000
BABER, Alice, (American, 1928-1982): "Lavender Ways to the Sea", Oil/Canvas, 33" x 34", signed lower right, thin edge original frame, 34" x 35". Original label verso from A.M. Sachs Gallery, New York. Gifted from Abe Sachs to consignor's mother.
Burchard Galleries Inc
Aug. 29, 2023
Alice Baber (1928-1982), "Red + Blue Deluge," Watercolor on paper, Image/Sheet: 14.25" H x 11.125" W
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982) "Red + Blue Deluge" Watercolor on paper Signed lower left: Baber; titled verso
John Moran Auctioneers
Aug. 29, 2023
Alice Baber (1928-1982), "Blue Leaf to Shell" from the "Tragedy of Color Series," 1975, Watercolor on Arches, Image/Sheet: 30" H x 22.25" W
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982) "Blue Leaf to Shell" from the "Tragedy of Color Series," 1975 Watercolor on paper, watermark Arches Signed, titled, and dated, verso: Alice Baber; various notations in other hands and artist's death notice on a card affixed, verso
John Moran Auctioneers
Aug. 29, 2023
Alice Baber (1928-1982), "The Door to the Gate to the Bridge," 1975, Oil on canvas, 34" H x 54" W
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982) "The Door to the Gate to the Bridge," 1975 Oil on canvas Signed in white pigment that is visible under blacklight: Baber; signed again, titled, and dated, verso
John Moran Auctioneers
Aug. 22, 2023
Alice Baber - Composition - 1970 Lithograph - SIGNED 28" x 22"
Est: $600 - $900
"Composition" by Alice Baber, 1970 Signed Lithograph. Paper size is 28 x 22 inches, with an image size of 28 x 22 inches. The Lithograph is from an edition size of 100 and is not framed. The condition was rated A-: Near Mint, very light signs of handling. Additional details: Lithograph in colors hand signed and numbered out of 100 in pencil.
DUMBO Auctions
Jun. 13, 2023
Alice Baber (1928-1982), "Light Ladder," 1966, Oil on canvas, 31.5" H x 39" W
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982) "Light Ladder," 1966 Oil on canvas Signed lower right: Baber
John Moran Auctioneers
Jun. 13, 2023
Alice Baber, (1928-1982), "The Sound of the Summer Hermit" and "The Key of Sound and Light," 1976, Oil on canvas, 72" H x 102" W
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982) "The Sound of the Summer Hermit" and "The Key of Sound and Light," 1976 Oil on canvas Signed lower left: Baber; signed again, titled, and dated on the stretcher
John Moran Auctioneers
Jun. 01, 2023
Baber, Alice (1928-1982) Untitled.
Est: $800 - $1,200
Baber, Alice (1928-1982) Untitled. Paris: Mourlot, 1970. Color lithograph on Arches paper with full margins; printer's proof, unnumbered impression from edition of 100, signed, dated, dedicated, and inscribed in pencil, lower left, "Mme. Lingwood, with congratulations!! Alice Baber, Mourlot Proof, 1970"; 28 1/4 x 22 in. "Baber developed a unique stain and lift technique of painting, while her distinctive palette evolved through many stages. For a time, she worked solely with reds, but as she progressively eliminated opacity, she explored yellows, greens, and lavender, largely monochromatically. By the early 1960s she began to use a great variety of colors on a single canvas, and by the mid-1970s introduced black, achieving some of her most subtle and delicate effects." (Quoted from North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary, ed. Jules & Nancy Heller, New York: Taylor & Francis, 2013.) In this particular print, we see Baber combining a rainbow of translucent colors, overlapping and converging in chains of great organic bubbles.
Swann Auction Galleries
May. 20, 2023
Alice Baber (1928-1982): Storm of the Rainbow
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Alice Baber American, 1928-1982 Storm of the Rainbow oil on canvas 1977; signed and dated lower left; signed and dated again and titled verso
Abell Auction
May. 19, 2023
Dirvish Ladder and Tree
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Alice Baber 1928 - 1982 Dirvish Ladder and Tree signed (lower center); signed twice, titled and dated 1974 (on the overlap); signed, titled and dated 74 (on the stretcher) oil on canvas 40 by 29¾ in. 101.6 by 75.6 cm. Executed in 1974.
Sotheby's
Apr. 19, 2023
Alice Baber (American,1928-1982) Dance of the Wind Cave, 1973
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Alice Baber (American,1928-1982) Dance of the Wind Cave, 1973 acrylic on canvas signed Baber (upper left); signed, titled and dated (verso) 63 1/2 x 38 inches.
Hindman
Apr. 11, 2023
Alice Baber (1928-1982), "Blue X," 1970, Screenprint in colors on paper, Image/Sheet: 28" H x 22" W
Est: $800 - $1,200
Alice Baber (1928-1982) "Blue X," 1970 Screenprint in colors on Arches paper Edition: 44/100 Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil lower left: Alice Baber; titled on gallery label affixed to board backing
John Moran Auctioneers
Mar. 16, 2023
Alice Baber, Untitled (Abstract)
Est: $400 - $800
Alice Baber (1928 - 1982) Untitled (Abstract) lithograph, Printer's Proof embossed lower left: [Tamarind Institute chop] [Stephen Britko's chop] signed and editioned in graphite lower left: Alice Baber Pr P
Santa Fe Art Auction
Feb. 28, 2023
Alice Baber, (1928-1982), "Axe in the Grove," 1966, Oil on canvas, 48" H x 64" W
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982) "Axe in the Grove," 1966 Oil on canvas Signed near the lower edge, left of center: Baber; titled on the stretcher, verso; dated and inscribed on the stretcher, verso: Paris [partially crossed out] 1966 New York
John Moran Auctioneers
Feb. 23, 2023
Alice Baber (1928-1982); Sun Circuit;
Est: $700 - $900
Alice Baber (1928-1982) Sun Circuit, 1967 Lithograph in colors on wove paper, signed in pencil and annotated 'A.P.' (an artist's proof, aside from the edition of 80), the full sheet. sheet 21 1/2 x 17 3/4in (54.7 x 45.1cm)
Bonhams
Jan. 14, 2023
Alice Baber Abstract Watercolor Painting Signed 25x20in
Est: $2,800 - $5,600
Title: Alice Baber Abstract Watercolor Painting Signed 25x20in Description: Alice Baber Abstract Watercolor Painting Signed 25x20in. On Arches paper. Signature: Signed Lower right and lower left and signed, titled Porto de la Silva and dated 1960 sheet verso Condition of piece: Displays toning with darkened edges, some waves to sheet, sheet will need to be hammered back into frame properly Visible Site Line: 24.5 X 19 inches Frame Size 26.5 X 21 inches Estimated size of packaging: 30x24x5, 33 lbs, this weight is dimensional Other Shipping Info: Zip Code 33701 CALCULATE SHIPPING COSTS HERE Important Info: Commonly Asked Questions Described By: Michelle HFA DBJQ NFEDD
Hess Fine Art
Dec. 16, 2022
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982) American
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982) ; Abstract ; 1975 ; oil on canvas / unframed ; dimensions 243 x 122 cm (95 2/3 x 48 in.) ; signed and dated lower right ; Shipping to USA - DHL $1470 , National post with tracking service $850 / Shipping to EU, Middle Assia - DHL $1100 , National post with tracking service $750
Art-Torg
Dec. 14, 2022
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982) Olympus, 1970-71
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982) Olympus, 1970-71 watercolor on canvas signed Alice Baber, titled, and dated (verso) 58 1/8 x 75 5/8 inches. Lot Essay:Color HungerMy own point of view leaned heavily to the pre-eminence of color - what I call "color hunger" - that has motivated my own work and my selections. I have also looked for magic, poetry, eccentricity, saturation, overemphasis, and so forth.-- Alice Baber in Curators Notes for the show Color Forum at the University Art Museum, The University of Texas at AustinAlice Baber was born in 1928 in Charleston, Illinois, and enjoyed a nomadic childhood split between her family home and Florida, instilling a love of travel that would inspire her career. Baber began drawing at eight, enrolled in a college art class by twelve, had her first solo show at 30, and, by the time of her death at age fifty-four, was a widely respected artist and curator whose work was represented in major collections internationally.The trajectory of Baber's career mirrors many of her contemporaries: peripatetic youth, education interrupted by World War II, a stint in Paris, and then a shift to New York . Her deep-rooted interest in Asian culture was encouraged by a 1964 show with the Gutai Group in Japan alongside her then-husband, fellow artist Paul Jenkins. She was especially enamored with cultural uses of color and spiritual mysticism, developing an impressive personal collection throughout her travels. Color was everything for Baber. "Anything you remember well you remember in very vivid color, and anything that's particularly sort of gloomy becomes very gray," she said in an interview with the Smithsonian Archives of American Art (Oral history interview with Alice Baber, May 24, 1973). "This has nothing to do with dreaming in color; that's something else. Either one does or one doesn't. My most interesting memories are in very brilliant color. I remember a day when I was four that it rained and it was green, everything. The rain was green, everything was green. And I remember looking at a sea shell when I was about three and everything was yellow. The whole world. And I think other people probably have somewhat similar feelings about color environment." She referred to these phenomena as color-hunger, her kind of preternatural yearning to use and understand color in ways both concrete and atmospheric throughout her work. It's almost as if she was able to see a broader spectrum of colors than most and was desperate to describe them -- translating an unknowable language. Olympus is an excellent example of Baber's work: the balance of positive and negative space became increasingly important to her in the prime of her career, evidenced here in strong, fluid forms set against a stark white background, the vivid purples and blues fluctuating in opacity as if turning a kaleidoscope. "I use the white ground in a number of ways," she said in her Smithsonian interview, "I often paint a painting until it tells me to stop, and sometimes the white ground still shows. In most cases, I try to make the white ground either a pattern, so that it can be both negative and positive space, or if not that perhaps and atmospheric wind moving the other colors and shapes around... but if it doesn't happen to appear, that's all right, too." We are pleased to present Olympus contextualized in this sale with the work of many of Baber's fellow artists: Balcom Greene (who she praised for his ability to "attack the figures with light"), Gene Davis and Robert Natkin, both of whom she included in her show Color Forum at the University Art Museum at the University of Texas at Austin in 1972, and her ex-husband, Paul Jenkins. Though Baber and Jenkins both explored color in their abstractions, Baber's refined forms and careful layers of paint were contrasted by his fluid pourings. Though during their time Jenkins was perhaps the more recognized name, the recent interest in Baber's work has accelerated her auction record to eclipsing his. After painting through several grueling years of cancer, Baber's career was cut short when she died in 1982 at just 54 years of age. An ardent self-professed feminist, she curated a show of women's work called Color, Light and Image in 1972, and had put together several other shows in the years that followed. Her accelerated career - and talent - has indeed left us all with an insatiable color hunger.
Hindman
Dec. 03, 2022
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982), Steps to the Fountain of the Secret Garden
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Alice Baber (American, 1928-1982), Steps to the Fountain of the Secret Garden oil and acrylic on canvas, 1979, signed, inscribed and titled to verso, framed. Stretcher size 18 1/2 x 24 in.; Frame dimensions 19 1/2 x 25 1/2 in. Alice Baber was an abstract painter, printmaker and feminist. Her lyrical biomorphic color stain paintings are in prominent collections including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Nasher Museum of Art, Durham, North Carolina; and more. Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.lelandlittle.com
Leland Little Auctions
Oct. 25, 2022
Alice Baber, (1928-1982, American), "Blue X," 1970, Serigraph on Arches, Image/Sheet: 28" H x 22" W
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982, American) "Blue X," 1970 Serigraph on Arches Edition: 44/100 Signed, dated, and numbered in pencil lower left: Alice Baber; titled on gallery label affixed to board backing Image/Sheet: 28" H x 22" W Provenance: Property from Frances Luban Fine Art, Burbank, CA
John Moran Auctioneers
Oct. 25, 2022
Alice Baber, (1928-1982, American), Untitled, Serigraph on wove paper, Image: 20.25" H x 25.25" W; Sheet: 25" H x 29.75" W
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982, American) Untitled Serigraph on wove paper Edition: 28/50 Signed and numbered in pencil left center: Alice Baber Image: 20.25" H x 25.25" W; Sheet: 25" H x 29.75" W Provenance: Property from Frances Luban Fine Art, Burbank, CA
John Moran Auctioneers
Oct. 25, 2022
Alice Baber, (1928-1982, American), "Swirl of Sounds - Wind, Rock and Sun," 1975, Oil on canvas, 103" H x 71.75" W (edge of the upper f
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Alice Baber (1928-1982, American) "Swirl of Sounds - Wind, Rock and Sun," 1975 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right: Baber; signed and dated again and titled verso 103" H x 71.75" W (edge of the upper frame missing) Provenance: Property of an Important New York Corporate Collection
John Moran Auctioneers