David Rankin Serigraph Pink Lily '90 collectible listed

David Rankin (1946-)

Serigraph

“Pink Lily”

Offered for sale is this large framed serigraph by the Australian/New York artist, David Rankin.

It’s not hard to find out information on Rankin. The subscription database, ArtRecord.com, Lists him as

David RANKIN: Born in England in 1946, Rankin arrived in Australia in 1949. A self-taught artist and printmaker, he was the principal of the publishing house Port Jackson Press. He has exhibited widely and is represented in many state and provincial collections.

It list 384 of his works, sold for a total of over 1.2 million. Of more interest to us are his serigraphs, where 8 are listed, for a sale value of $3,905.00, or an average of $488.15 each. Recent sales have been higher, with a sale of $950.00 in June, 2009, at Leonard Joels. Of interest I note another of this series, “Brown Lily” also sold at Leonard Joels.

Searching the ‘Net I get 219,000 hits on “David Rankin artist”. He even has an entry in Wikepedia. I found a very good biography at www.savah.com.au/rankin.html. Narrowing him down to serigraphs I found one listed with the Leski Gallery with an estimate of $500-750.00. There is a good critique of his work as well as an exhibition at the Tweed River Art Gallery, viewable at www.seriousart.org/artists/rankin.html. The Metropolis gallery listed one of his unframed serigraphs for $395.00. The Art Gallery of NSW has one of his etchings, and as well he’s collected by the University of Adelaide. There is an extensive list of his overseas showing at www.adrianslingergalleriescom/.

Rankin has an extensive entry in “The New McCullough Encyclopedia OF Australia Art”, Miegumyah Press, 2006.

RANKIN, David b. 19/12/1946, Plymouth Eng; arr. Aust. 1949

Painter, printmaker, teacher

STUDIES. No formal training. A leading abstractionist his early paintings concerned mainly technological innovations and its application to natural phenomena. Landscape has always been an important part of his work. With its general quality and pared back imagery of lines and dots which have been a feature of his work since the 1960’s, as with that of other leading Western abstractionists, some of his work bears a resemblence to some Aboriginal art painted many years later. He founded Port Jackson Press, Melbourne, and taught art from 1966 to 1974. In the mid 1980’s, his work also encompassed the Jewish world of his wife, poet Lily Brett . .

The entry goes on to list over 200 exhibitions, about 30 prizes, representation in most of the major state art galleries, and an extensive bibliography.

In summary, Rankin is a serious, well collected artist, with his serigraphs commanding reasonable prices, and being immensely collectible for investment purposes. He seems to have done a series of these – “Pink Lilly”, “Blue Lilly”, Brown Lily”, “Aqua lily” etc., and the name Lily appears as a constant theme in his paintings, etchings and serigraphs. This serigraph is framed in a simple black frame, with light gold highlights. One of the problems I’ve had with my camera is getting the color definition of this pink just right – difficult when shooting through glass. It’s a rather vibrant pink, showing up better in the smaller shots of the bottom.

The frame is 88 by 65 cms., the image inside the matte is 70 by 47 cms. Reading along the bottom from the left we have written, in ink, “3/50”, “Pink Lily” and “Rankin 90”. The serigraph weighs 3.4 kgs – with additional packaging (specifically sheets of board to protect it from flexing during transport, and help protect the glass) this will become 5.0kg packed. This is too big for Australia Post, so I will send this road transport, securely packed, with SmartSend. Illustrative quotes for the 4 eastern states (Qld., NSW, Vic. & Tas.) are $40.00. Buyers in other states please contact me for a quote. PayPal is my preferred payment option.

Please have a look at my other paintings in my store, Galerie_E.