“Tripod” Marko Spalatin (b.1945), 1970 serigraph/screenprint 30×25, pencil-signed, titled & numbered 39/60.

$1,800.00

“Tripod” Marko Spalatin (b.1945), 1970 serigraph/screenprint 30×25, pencil-signed, titled & numbered 39/60.

A refined 1970 geometric abstraction by Croatian-American artist Marko Spalatin, Tripod explores balance, symmetry, and spatial tension through precisely screenprinted planes of cool blue and gray. Pencil-signed, titled, and numbered 39/60, this early serigraph represents a transitional moment leading into Spalatin’s celebrated cube and module series.

Artwork Description

What you’re looking at
Tripod is built around a central vertical axis stabilized by three projecting geometric masses, creating a sense of architectural balance and suspended weight. The composition feels simultaneously grounded and floating, as if the forms are held in equilibrium by an unseen structural logic.

Style & period
Created in 1970, this work sits at a pivotal point in Spalatin’s development—after his earliest constructivist explorations but just before the fully realized Cube Figure and Module series of the early 1970s. The image reflects hard-edge abstraction with Op Art–adjacent spatial ambiguity, emphasizing clarity of form over expressive gesture.

Medium & technique (serigraph/screenprint)
Executed as a serigraph, the print is composed of multiple flat, opaque color layers applied through carefully aligned screens. Cool blues and muted grays interact through precise edges rather than shading, producing depth entirely through color contrast and plane intersection. The immaculate registration and even pigment application exemplify Spalatin’s technical rigor in screenprinting.

Signature & editioning
The print is pencil-signed (lower right), titled (lower left), and numbered 39/60 (lower center). While slightly larger than some of his later editions, this remains a desirable early edition from a formative period.

Conceptual framework
In Tripod, Spalatin explores the idea of structural support and equilibrium. The three-part configuration suggests stability, yet the suspended central element introduces perceptual uncertainty. This tension between certainty and ambiguity would become a defining feature of his later modular abstractions.

Marko Spalatin (b. 1945)

Background & training
Marko Spalatin was born in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1945 and immigrated to the United States in 1963. He studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, earning a Bachelor of Science in Art in 1968 and a Master of Fine Arts in 1971. His academic years coincided with major advances in American printmaking and the rise of geometric abstraction as an international visual language.

Where he practiced
Spalatin developed his mature practice primarily in Wisconsin, where he became a key figure in the region’s postwar print renaissance. From there, his work reached an international audience through extensive gallery representation and participation in major exhibitions across Europe, North America, and beyond.

Artistic influences & philosophy
Influenced by constructivism, hard-edge painting, and perceptual color theory, Spalatin focuses on the relationship between form, color, and light. He has described his work as a continuous investigation into how flat, uniformly applied pigment can lose its flatness through simultaneous contrast, creating multiple layers of perception. Symmetry often provides a formal anchor, allowing subtle chromatic shifts to activate the composition.

Printmaking significance
Spalatin is especially respected for his serigraphs, a medium that allowed him absolute control over color density, edge clarity, and spatial illusion. His screenprints from the late 1960s and early 1970s are widely regarded as foundational to his career and are frequently cited in discussions of American geometric abstraction.

Exhibitions & institutional recognition
Throughout his career, Spalatin has held numerous one-man exhibitions and participated in major international group shows, including biennials and museum exhibitions. His works are held in prominent public and museum collections worldwide, underscoring his lasting significance within postwar abstract art.

Collector perspective
While the Tripod series is less ubiquitous than his later Module works, it is valued by knowledgeable collectors for its role as a transitional bridge—revealing the architectural logic and perceptual concerns that would define Spalatin’s most iconic series.

Marko Spalatin (Croatian-American, b. 1945), Tripod, 1970. Serigraph/screenprint in colors on paper, 30 × 25 inches. Pencil signed, titled, and numbered 39/60. Early hard-edge geometric abstraction exploring balance and spatial tension. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery to Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.

Certificate of Value & Authentication

Artist: Marko Spalatin (b. 1945)
Title:Tripod
Year: 1970
Medium: Serigraph / screenprint in colors on paper
Dimensions: 30 × 25 inches
Edition: 39/60
Signatures/Marks: Pencil signed, titled, and numbered by the artist
Condition (visual): No visible condition issues noted from available images; in-person inspection recommended
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery (acquired in NYC, United States and Europe) → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
Authentication: Consistent with documented early Spalatin serigraph practice

Provenance Chain (Collector Format)

Marko Spalatin (artist) → Mitch Morse Gallery (publisher/agent; acquired in NYC, United States and Europe) → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner).

“Tripod” Marko Spalatin (b.1945), 1970 serigraph/screenprint 30×25, pencil-signed, titled & numbered 39/60.

A refined 1970 geometric abstraction by Croatian-American artist Marko Spalatin, Tripod explores balance, symmetry, and spatial tension through precisely screenprinted planes of cool blue and gray. Pencil-signed, titled, and numbered 39/60, this early serigraph represents a transitional moment leading into Spalatin’s celebrated cube and module series.

Artwork Description

What you’re looking at
Tripod is built around a central vertical axis stabilized by three projecting geometric masses, creating a sense of architectural balance and suspended weight. The composition feels simultaneously grounded and floating, as if the forms are held in equilibrium by an unseen structural logic.

Style & period
Created in 1970, this work sits at a pivotal point in Spalatin’s development—after his earliest constructivist explorations but just before the fully realized Cube Figure and Module series of the early 1970s. The image reflects hard-edge abstraction with Op Art–adjacent spatial ambiguity, emphasizing clarity of form over expressive gesture.

Medium & technique (serigraph/screenprint)
Executed as a serigraph, the print is composed of multiple flat, opaque color layers applied through carefully aligned screens. Cool blues and muted grays interact through precise edges rather than shading, producing depth entirely through color contrast and plane intersection. The immaculate registration and even pigment application exemplify Spalatin’s technical rigor in screenprinting.

Signature & editioning
The print is pencil-signed (lower right), titled (lower left), and numbered 39/60 (lower center). While slightly larger than some of his later editions, this remains a desirable early edition from a formative period.

Conceptual framework
In Tripod, Spalatin explores the idea of structural support and equilibrium. The three-part configuration suggests stability, yet the suspended central element introduces perceptual uncertainty. This tension between certainty and ambiguity would become a defining feature of his later modular abstractions.

Marko Spalatin (b. 1945)

Background & training
Marko Spalatin was born in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1945 and immigrated to the United States in 1963. He studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, earning a Bachelor of Science in Art in 1968 and a Master of Fine Arts in 1971. His academic years coincided with major advances in American printmaking and the rise of geometric abstraction as an international visual language.

Where he practiced
Spalatin developed his mature practice primarily in Wisconsin, where he became a key figure in the region’s postwar print renaissance. From there, his work reached an international audience through extensive gallery representation and participation in major exhibitions across Europe, North America, and beyond.

Artistic influences & philosophy
Influenced by constructivism, hard-edge painting, and perceptual color theory, Spalatin focuses on the relationship between form, color, and light. He has described his work as a continuous investigation into how flat, uniformly applied pigment can lose its flatness through simultaneous contrast, creating multiple layers of perception. Symmetry often provides a formal anchor, allowing subtle chromatic shifts to activate the composition.

Printmaking significance
Spalatin is especially respected for his serigraphs, a medium that allowed him absolute control over color density, edge clarity, and spatial illusion. His screenprints from the late 1960s and early 1970s are widely regarded as foundational to his career and are frequently cited in discussions of American geometric abstraction.

Exhibitions & institutional recognition
Throughout his career, Spalatin has held numerous one-man exhibitions and participated in major international group shows, including biennials and museum exhibitions. His works are held in prominent public and museum collections worldwide, underscoring his lasting significance within postwar abstract art.

Collector perspective
While the Tripod series is less ubiquitous than his later Module works, it is valued by knowledgeable collectors for its role as a transitional bridge—revealing the architectural logic and perceptual concerns that would define Spalatin’s most iconic series.

Marko Spalatin (Croatian-American, b. 1945), Tripod, 1970. Serigraph/screenprint in colors on paper, 30 × 25 inches. Pencil signed, titled, and numbered 39/60. Early hard-edge geometric abstraction exploring balance and spatial tension. Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery to Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.

Certificate of Value & Authentication

Artist: Marko Spalatin (b. 1945)
Title:Tripod
Year: 1970
Medium: Serigraph / screenprint in colors on paper
Dimensions: 30 × 25 inches
Edition: 39/60
Signatures/Marks: Pencil signed, titled, and numbered by the artist
Condition (visual): No visible condition issues noted from available images; in-person inspection recommended
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery (acquired in NYC, United States and Europe) → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC
Authentication: Consistent with documented early Spalatin serigraph practice

Provenance Chain (Collector Format)

Marko Spalatin (artist) → Mitch Morse Gallery (publisher/agent; acquired in NYC, United States and Europe) → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner).

“TRIPOD”-

MARKO SPALATIN - Serigraph - Signed & Numbered - 39/50

Image 25-1/2 x 20 inches (including signature and narrow white margin), paper 30-1/2 x 25-1/2 inches.  LIMITED EDITION HAND PULLED & DRAWN ORIGINAL SERIGRAPH, NUMBERED & HAND SIGNED BY ARTIST. From the retired Mitch Moore Gallery Inc, NYC. Unmatted, never framed or displayed. Image area is in very good frameable vintage condition. 

ARTISTS BIO:   Marko Spalatin:  Born in 1945 in Zagreb, Croatia, Marko Spalatin immigrated to the United States in 1963.   He studied at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and earned a B.S. in Art in 1968 and a M.F.A. in 1971.   He is well known for his colorful geometric designs in the form of limited edition prints and also original paintings. The movement of light through the world and across variegated surfaces and the relationship between them, is one of the focal points of Spalatin's work. Although the paintings are inspired by nature, the specific source is finally not what is important. Spalatin's painting may inspire the viewer to recall the shifting brilliance of sunlight on summer's leaves, the swaying movements of a school of brightly colored tropical fish, the glittering reflections of moonlight on the ocean, or some other dazzling occurrence in nature. However, the viewer's task is not to figure out where a painting comes from, the to experience what it is.   His work is displayed in major museums around the world.  Read more about the artist and see a sampling of his other works on his website.  Search on Marko Spalatin. 

  • ARTIST'S STATEMENT: "My work represents a continuous involvement with abstract geometric forms defined by careful manipulation of color and light. The relationship between form and color within the pictorial field demands a visually symbiotic presence. The challenge revolves around the selection of a form as a vehicle for color, as well as choosing appropriate color and light for that form. This interplay creates a primary spatial illusion, along with secondary effects. I find that precisely defined areas of color, when placed against each other, compete for dominance. This activity, when further accentuated by tonal structure, produces multiple levels of perception. A given area of uniformly applied pigment loses its flat character through simultaneous contract with the surrounding colors. In many cases, the positive and negative spaces within the field become interchangeable. In more complex paintings, when the substructure is a series of repetitive modules, the color-light interplay reveals its polyphonic character. In general, my compositions remain formal and symmetrical in order to be set in motion by unexpected mutations of color and light. In some cases, the careful placement of small areas of saturated color against a backdrop of transitional grays creates an illusion of suspended particles. There is no doubt that in these images in particular, my sense of color and light is subconsciously influenced and sustained by many years of scuba diving in the waters of the Adriatic Sea and the Caribbean. I am intrigued by the relativity of color and by the mystery of light, and I am constantly challenged to explore their potentials. Every painting becomes a self-imposed visual problem, subjectively resolved in search of an objective truth."

  • His prints and paintings have been featured in over 70 solo exhibitions across the US, as well as in France, Croatia, Canada, Lebanon, Italy, and Slovenia, and in numerous group exhibitions in 12 countries. Spalatin’s work is represented in many private, corporate, and public collections, including:

COMMISSIONS AND PERMANENT COLLECTIONS

Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

Musee d'Art Modern, Paris

Tate Gallery, London

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA

New York Public Library, New York City

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Akron Art Institute, Akron, Ohio

Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

U.S. Steel Collection, Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh National Bank, Pittsburgh, PA

Wisconsin Art Foundation

International Graphic Art Society, New York

American National Insurance Company, Galveston, Texas

Chase Manhattan Bank

Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, Philadelphia, PA

Bibliotheque National, Paris, France

Museum of Contemporary Art-Chicago, Illinois

Metropolitan Museum-Manila, Philippines

Philadelphia Museum of Art-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Butler Institute of American Art-Youngstown, Ohio

Museum of Modern Art-Belgrade, Yugoslavia

Milwaukee Art Museum-Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cleveland Museum of Art-Cleveland, Ohio

Elvehjem Museum of Art-Madison, Wisconsin

Museum of Modern Art-Novi Sad, Yugoslavia

Madison Art Center-Madison, Wisconsin

Masur Museum of Art-Monroe, Louisiana

National Arts Club-New York, New York

Albrecht Museum-St. Joseph, Missouri

Billings Art Center-Billings, Montana

National & University Library-Zagreb, Croatia

Rochester Museum of Art-Rochester, New York

Museum of Modern Art-Ljubljana, Slovenia

ONE MAN SHOWS

1971-Galerie Lahumiere, Paris

1971-University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

1971-Madison Art Center, Madison, Wisconsin

1970-Fairwather Hardin Gallery, Chicago, Illinois

1070-Akron Art Institute, Akron, Ohio

GROUP SHOWS

1970-Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy

1970-Workd's Fair, Osaka Japan

1970-Phoenix Gallery, Berkeley, California

1970-New York State Council on the Arts travelling exhibition, in collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum

1970-Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica, New York

1969-Lincoln Memorial Art Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1969-Madison Art Center, Madison, Wisconsin

1969-The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York

1968-American Graphic Workshops Exhibition, Cincinnati, Ohio

AWARDS AND PRIZES

1971-Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

You Might Also Like