Vertical Times presents a curated selection of rare and significant abstract works spanning from the 1950s to the early 2000s, covering some of the most important developments in post-war and contemporary art.
In the United States, artists such as Robert Motherwell, Sam Francis, and Joan Mitchell helped establish a new vocabulary of gestural abstraction and colour field painting that defined the Abstract Expressionist and lyrical movements. Through artists such as Kazuo Shiraga and Zao Wou-Ki, the Asian art world was forging their own journey of abstraction that paved the way for later twentieth century artists such as Lee Ufan. Similarly, European-born artists like Pierre Soulages, Georges Mathieu, Josef Albers and Sean Scully, were exploring variations of lyrical, geometric, and conceptual abstraction while advancing the discourse on colour theory and perception. Together, these artists form an intercontinental survey of abstraction’s evolution, capturing a dynamic and multifaceted history that spans across decades and geographical boundaries.
The art market, like all markets, is cyclical. As trends shift and speculative interests fluctuate, Vertical Times has chosen to look beyond the fast-paced, high-turnover contemporary scene to focus on twentieth-century masterworks, often referred to as blue-chip. These artists have demonstrated long-term market resilience, supported by the enduring scarcity, quality, and historical significance of their work. This exhibition offers not only a chance to revisit formative moments in art history, but also an opportunity to invest in works of lasting culture and value.
