In
the 1970s, Dellard Cassity executed these freehand sketches using simple
mediums such as ink and felt pens. At times he even used masking tape to
juxtapose separate pieces of paper and create an image. This was a quick way
for Cassity to graphically demonstrate an idea he would develop in more depth
later (see oils further down on the artist's page). Even though these records were not
intended as finished works, we loved their aesthetics and decided to present
them, framing a few and turning them into art objects in their own right.
Cassity worked in a style of color field painting called “Hard-Edge Abstraction”. It became popular in California in the late 1950s and was a classical turn away from the romanticism of Abstract Expressionism. This emerging trend in abstract art employed clean lines and contrasting hues. It recalls the geometric abstraction of Piet Mondrian, Josef Albers, Ad Reinhardt and others.
Works like these
Cassity studies are an affordable and dynamic way to add color and zest to a
room. It’s pieces like these that are often used by stylists from companies such
as Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Target, Nordstrom and others,
to create the feeling of a high-end, curated, artful environment.
