Donald Sultan Five Poppies For Sale

About this work

Donald Sultan has occupied a distinctive position in contemporary art since the 1980s, known for his bold explorations of industrial materials and his ongoing dialogue between abstraction and representation. His work bridges the legacy of still life painting with the formal concerns of minimalism, earning him a place in major institutional collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Five Poppies (2023) belongs to Sultan's celebrated flower series, a body of work he has developed over four decades. These compositions reduce organic forms to their essential silhouettes, rendering them in stark, graphic terms that emphasize shape and negative space. The poppy, with its associations of beauty, fragility, and ephemerality, has remained a recurring subject in Sultan's practice, allowing him to explore the tension between decorative tradition and contemporary abstraction. This work demonstrates Sultan's sophisticated approach to printmaking. The color silkscreen is layered with enamel inks and flocking—a technique that introduces a tactile, velvety surface quality distinctive to his editions. The over printed flocking adds dimensional depth, while the Somerset 500 gsm Satin Radiant White paper with deckle edges provides a substantial ground that complements the richness of the imagery. At 30 by 38 inches, the scale allows the composition room to breathe while maintaining an intimate presence. From an edition of 60, this print offers access to Sultan's mature vision at a moment when his market remains active across both primary and secondary channels. For acquisition inquiries, please contact Guy Hepner.