Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Valton Tyler
Still Life

1970

About the Item

In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintings, prints and drawings, whose style defies convenient labels. Abstract, surreal, cartoonish, sci-fi fantastic, metaphysical, apocalyptic-Baroque - all of these fit but also fall short of fully describing his art." (The Living Arts, June 13, 2000, p. B2) Valton Tyler was born in 1944 in Texas, where "the industrial world of oil refineries made a long-lasting impression on Valton as a very young child living in Texas City. He was three years old when the terrible explosion occurred there and can remember the terrifying confusion and 'the beautiful red sky and objects flying everywhere in the air.'" (Reynolds, p. 25) While growing up in Texas City, Valton's father worked in auto repair, and was known for his skill in mixing colors for paint jobs. After leaving Texas City, Valton made his way to Dallas, where he briefly enrolled at the Dallas Art Institute, but found it to be too social and commercial for his taste. After Valton's work was introduced to Donald Vogel (founder of Valley House Gallery), "Vogel arranged for Tyler to use the printmaking facilities in the art department of the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where the young artist essentially taught himself several demanding printmaking techniques. 'It was remarkable,' Vogel says. 'Not only did he learn complicated etching methods, but he was able to express himself powerfully in whatever medium he explored.' Vogel became the publisher of Tyler's prints. Among them, the artist made editions of some 50 different images whose sometimes stringy abstract forms and more solid, architecturally arresting elements became the precursors of his later, mature style." (Gomez, Raw Vision #35, p. 36) "Still Life" is plate number 11, and is reproduced in "The First Fifty Prints: Valton Tyler" with text by Rebecca Reynolds, published for Valley House Gallery by Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas, Texas, 1972. In "The First Fifty Prints," Reynolds recounts Valton Tyler's description of this image: “This was done by a handicapped person who lived a long time ago. He wanted to make monumental sculptures, but he was limited and was not able to go on scaffoldings. So, he just sat around his room doing these still-life little sculptures.” Valton’s description continues, “This one was made out of old-fashioned mild bottles because of their beautiful shapes. Apples are cut in two because the peelings do not want to hide the beauty of their interiors. The portholes create a contrast. They suggest the inside environments of the objects. This is important. All of my structures are aware of their inside worlds.” (Reynolds, p. 60) Paper size: 23 3/4 x 30 1/2 inches Edition: 5 Artists Proofs Imp. 50 Signed Prints Imp. Bibliography: Edward M. Gomez, "Futuristic Forms Frolic Under Eerie Texan Skies," The New York Times, June 13, 2000, page B2. Edward M. Gomez, "Valton Tyler's Techno-Organic Landscapes," Raw Vision 35, Summer 2001, pages 34-39. Rebecca Reynolds, "The First Fifty Prints: Valton Tyler," published for Valley House Gallery by Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas, Texas, 1972.
More From This SellerView All
  • Freezing Point
    By Valton Tyler
    Located in Dallas, TX
    In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintin...
    Category

    1970s Outsider Art Figurative Prints

    Materials

    Rag Paper, Etching

  • World of Watermelons
    By Valton Tyler
    Located in Dallas, TX
    In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintings, prints and drawings, whose style defies convenient labels. Abstract, surreal, cartoonish, sci-fi fantastic, metaphysical, apocalyptic-Baroque - all of these fit but also fall short of fully describing his art." (The Living Arts, June 13, 2000, p. B2) Valton Tyler was born in 1944 in Texas, where "the industrial world of oil refineries made a long-lasting impression on Valton as a very young child living in Texas City. He was three years old when the terrible explosion occurred there and can remember the terrifying confusion and 'the beautiful red sky and objects flying everywhere in the air.'" (Reynolds, p. 25) While growing up in Texas City, Valton's father worked in auto repair, and was known for his skill in mixing colors for paint jobs. After leaving Texas City, Valton made his way to Dallas, where he briefly enrolled at the Dallas Art Institute, but found it to be too social and commercial for his taste. After Valton's work was introduced to Donald Vogel (founder of Valley House Gallery), "Vogel arranged for Tyler to use the printmaking facilities in the art department of the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where the young artist essentially taught himself several demanding printmaking techniques. 'It was remarkable,' Vogel says. 'Not only did he learn complicated etching methods, but he was able to express himself powerfully in whatever medium he explored.' Vogel became the publisher of Tyler's prints. Among them, the artist made editions of some 50 different images whose sometimes stringy abstract forms and more solid, architecturally arresting elements became the precursors of his later, mature style." (Gomez, Raw Vision #35, p. 36) “World of Watermelons” is plate number 19, and is reproduced in "The First Fifty Prints: Valton Tyler" with text by Rebecca Reynolds, published for Valley House Gallery by Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas, Texas, 1972. Of “World of Watermelons”, Tyler said “The title here does not represent my own associations with this print. Friends simply began referring to it as ‘the watermelon print...
    Category

    1970s Outsider Art Abstract Prints

    Materials

    Rag Paper, Etching, Aquatint

  • Heritage
    By Valton Tyler
    Located in Dallas, TX
    In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintin...
    Category

    1960s Outsider Art Abstract Prints

    Materials

    Rag Paper, Etching, Aquatint

  • Homage to Galileo
    By Valton Tyler
    Located in Dallas, TX
    In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintin...
    Category

    1960s Outsider Art Still-life Prints

    Materials

    Etching, Aquatint, Rag Paper

  • Music Box
    By Valton Tyler
    Located in Dallas, TX
    In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez wrote of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined paintin...
    Category

    1970s Surrealist Still-life Prints

    Materials

    Rag Paper, Etching, Aquatint

  • 154 Foot Sculpture That Never Was
    By Valton Tyler
    Located in Dallas, TX
    In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez writes of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined painti...
    Category

    1970s Surrealist Prints and Multiples

    Materials

    Aquatint, Rag Paper, Etching

You May Also Like
  • "Pills" - Outsider Pop Art - Woodblock on Paper (#5/5)
    Located in Soquel, CA
    Vibrant multi-layer woodblock print by Robin Blake (American, 1955). Three layers of neon ink (yellow, magenta, and blue) form a zoomed-in composition of pills. The bright colors cre...
    Category

    2010s Outsider Art Still-life Prints

    Materials

    Paper, Ink, Woodcut

  • Under the Sun, Silkscreen by Muhammad Ali
    By Muhammad Ali
    Located in Long Island City, NY
    Artist: Muhammad Ali, American (1942 - ) Title: Under the Sun Year: 1979 Medium: Serigraph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 500 Size: 22 x 30 in. (55.88 x 76.2 cm) Frame: 36 ...
    Category

    1970s Outsider Art Still-life Prints

    Materials

    Screen

  • Venice 4/50 - collectors box with ten black-white etching aquatint prints
    By Olivier Julia
    Located in Doetinchem, NL
    Venezia (Venice) is a unique collectors box for everyone with an interest in contemporary modern minimalist prints. This custom made box contains 10 small etching aquatint prints depicting details of old Venice building...
    Category

    1980s Minimalist Abstract Prints

    Materials

    Rag Paper, Etching, Aquatint

  • Amsterdam 3/50- collectors box with ten black-white etching aquatint prints
    By Olivier Julia
    Located in Doetinchem, NL
    Amsterdam is a unique collectors box for everyone with an interest in contemporary modern minimalist prints. This custom made box contains 10 small etching aquatint prints depicting details of old...
    Category

    1980s Minimalist Abstract Prints

    Materials

    Aquatint, Rag Paper, Etching

  • Amsterdam III ed 28/50 - museum glass framed black-white aquatint etch print
    By Olivier Julia
    Located in Doetinchem, NL
    Amsterdam III is an intriguing early career aquatint dry-needle etch print by renowned French-Dutch artist Olivier Julia. It depicts a detail of an old Amsterdam house facade is both...
    Category

    1980s Contemporary Abstract Prints

    Materials

    Rag Paper, Etching, Aquatint

  • Amsterdam I ed 28/50 - museum glass framed black-white aquatint etch print
    By Olivier Julia
    Located in Doetinchem, NL
    Amsterdam I is an intriguing early career aquatint dry-needle etch print by renowned French-Dutch artist Olivier Julia. It depicts a detail of an old Amsterdam house facade is both a...
    Category

    1980s Contemporary Abstract Prints

    Materials

    Rag Paper, Etching, Aquatint

Recently Viewed

View All