Larry Zox (1937-2006) was a central figure in the evolution of abstraction in American art of the 20th century. 

Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Zox studied at the University of Oklahoma and went on to work under the tutelage of modernist Georg Grosz at the Des Moines Art Centre. Zox moved to New York City and established his reputation by the mid-1960s. His studio was located on 20th Street and he was surrounded and inspired by a melting pot of jazz artists, bikers, and boxers.

By the mid 1960s, Zox arrived at his characteristic style, utilizing hard-edge shapes in bold colors to create geometric patterns, which were often created on raw canvas. Zox was one of the most successful practitioners of hard-
edge or geometric abstraction and not surprisingly was championed by Frank Stella, amongst others. 

The artist's signature bold colour enliven the complex geometric shapes that feature prominently in his work of this era. Straight lines interact with the white of the paper creating hard edges and intriguing negative space. The palette seems to challenge the viewer, inviting eyes to seek patterns.

This iconic piece features two side-by-side square drawings on the same paper. Signed and dated by the artist in pencil on the lower left of the page, Teal Top exemplifies Zox’s dedicated pursuit investigating form and repetition, and his exceptional approach to colour.

Zox's hard-edge geometric creations from the late 1960's and early 1970's are arguably the most recognizable works from his oeuvre. Fittingly he had a retrospective at the Whitney Museum in 1973, that focused on such work. Today, numerous museums including , the ,  and the  all have examples of his work from this era in their permanent collections. 

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Teal Top

Signed and dated by the artist

Mixed media on paper

USA, 1966

8.5"H 10.5"W (work)

Very good condition

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