This lot is part of the sale to benefit the Wauson Award Artist Grant, in memory of Kim Wauson, and as a result artnet is waving the standard 15% Buyer's Premium.

Through washes of color and a careful application of gold leaf, Peggy Cyphers transforms her abstract painting into a magical, dream-like landscape. Although her composition is packed with vibrant colors and varying shapes and forms, Cyphers is able to establish a soothing harmony throughout the canvas that entices the viewer on the “Quest”.

Taking a cue from Abstract Color Field, Peggy Cyphers (b.1954) creates paintings whose themes and structures are defined by her use of color. With an interest in evolutionary theories, Cyphers often features imagery alluding to transfiguration, both emotional and physical. For her work, Cyphers has earned her numerous awards and honors including the 1989 National Endowment for the Arts Painting Award, three Pratt Institute Faculty Fund Awards (1996, 2001, 2010), and most recently the 2011 Peter Reed Foundation Painting Grant. Her work has been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at HP Garcia Gallery, New York, NY (2011); Creon Project Space, New York, NY (2011); Noma Gallery, San Francisco, CA (2009); and Proposition Gallery, New York, NY (2005).

Selected Public Collections:

National Gallery, Washington, DC
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
Tel Aviv Museum, Tel Aviv, Israel


The seven pieces seen here are from a memorial exhibition for Kim Wauson, 1954-2008, artist’s champion, collector, colleague and friend. Fundamental Abstraction II, in Kim’s honor, was exhibited at Haines Gallery, San Francisco, in May of 2008. All works had been donated by the artists in support of a grant, known as The Wauson, which awards $5000 to emerging, or mid-career artists vetted by a jury of their peers. Previous jurors have included James Sienna, David Ebony, Pearl Albino and Jane Scott. To date four awards were presented in late 2009. The Wauson is administered by For-Site Foundation, a not-for-profit artist in residency program based in Nevada City, Ca. 100% of the net proceeds from this sale will fund four additional grants. We thought collectors would enjoy knowing their purchases will be used for a good cause. For more information, visit www.for-site.org