Yellow Form 1964

Harold Krisel's "Yellow Form" is a screenprint, likely made with a squeegee to press ink through a stencil. The design features simple geometric shapes in muted tones contrasted with a vibrant yellow. The success of the print depends on the artist's control of the medium, a mastery of registration allowing for the different colors to be laid down precisely in relation to one another. Screenprinting has a rich history rooted in commercial production; it's a technique equally at home on a poster or t-shirt as on a fine art print. As such, Krisel's choice of this medium speaks to a blurring of boundaries. He elevates a technique often associated with mass production into the realm of fine art. This piece reminds us that the value and meaning of an artwork aren't solely determined by the image, but also by the materials and processes used to bring it into being.