An exceptional and ORIGINAL Martha Alf (Los Angeles, 1930-2019) - "PEAR #15" (1981).  Archivally matted and framed.

The artist signed the left binding edge of the bond paper's margin "(C) Martha Alf 1981 - #15 June 24, 25, 29, 30+ 1981" as well as the bottom right edge "(C) Martha Alf 1981".  See Listing Photos of unframed artwork.

See Seller's other Listings for Martha Alf's "Two Pears #6" (1983)!

Style:  Contemporary Pop & Minimalism

Provenance:  Originally shown and sold by Tortue Gallery, Santa Monica, then Acme Art, San Francisco (A#1189731).  Art Conservation and Reframed March - April 1987 by Northwood Frame Co., Dallas, by Southland Corporation (then current owner).  Ultimately making its way to Broken Arrow, OK, and sold as part of an individual's Estate in March 2024.  Art Conservation and Reframed March - April 2024 by Grant's Frames, Tulsa, by the current owner.  All the original tags and documents that were attached to the 1987 reframed backing paper (see last Listing Photo) have been preserved and placed in a sleeve on the back of the current reframed piece, along with a digital archival document of the piece prior-to being reframed by Grant's Frames. 

Current Art Conservation & Reframing:  This pastel by Martha Alf was archivally framed by the staff of Grant's Frames in April 2024.  The artwork is mounted to an archival backerboard using conservation strips, a technique that ensures the art can be removed.  The top mat is Crescent 2259 with a reverse cut bevel to maximize the seen image.  The art is framed in a Larson Juhl gold slant frame with museum glass to protect the art and optimize the viewing experience.  The artist's signature (along the left and bottom right edges of bond paper) is not visible within the matted visible area, but it was documented digitally (see Listing photos) by the conservator's staff and placed in a sleeve on the backside of the framed artwork.

About the Artist - Martha Alf:   The nationally celebrated, Los Angeles-based artist Martha Alf (b. August 13, 1930 – d. September 13, 2019) had an art career that spanned five decades. She had a special gift for giving life, beauty, and often personality to mundane objects. Alf was best known for her critically acclaimed toilet paper roll or “cylinder” paintings, which were featured in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s 1975 Biennial. Her pastel drawings of pears were also widely recognized and she has fondly been described as “the Vermeer of Pears.” Johannes Vermeer was her favorite artist.

Alf's art has been included in 42 solo exhibitions and over 87 group exhibitions mostly in Southern California museums. Her art is in numerous private and corporate holdings and is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Orange County Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Art, Long Beach Museum of Art, Phoenix Art Museum, and the Portland Art Museum, among many others. Alf was the recipient of many awards, including two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

In the 1980s, she began to render her pears in pastels, exaggerating color and light, and later painted a series of brightly colored pears so vivid that one art critic called them "psychedelic pears." In the mid-1980s, Martha left Newspace Gallery and showed at Tortue Gallery, Santa Monica and Jan Baum Gallery, Los Angeles, who debuted her “psychedelic pears.” (Later, Martha returned to Newspace for representation until Joni Gordon’s passing in 2012.)

Alf was married to Edward (Eddie) Franklin Alf, Jr. in 1951. He was a Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University. He died in 2007. They had one child, Richard Alf, co-founder of Comic-Con. He died from pancreatic cancer at age 59.

Her work showcases the luminous graphite drawings rendered by a methodical, labor-intensive application of diagonal strokes or "lines that don't end with the object's edges" according to the artist. This technique continued in her dramatic depictions of pears conveying the exploration of human relationships through their varying arrangements and anthropomorphic presence. Alf's subtle, yet profoundly evocative body of work makes visible the duality of the everyday amidst its grand mystery.

For more information about the artist, you can internet search for "Martha Alf Foundation".

Dimensions:  Bond 11" x 14".  Frame 16" x 18.75"

Condition:  Excellent, pre-owned.  New mounting, matting, museum glass, and frame.

Terms of Sale:  Please ask questions before bidding or purchasing.  Additional photos of the item can be provided, as requested.  No returns accepted.  No reserve auction.  Bidders with zero ("0") feedback may be disallowed by the Seller, without contacting the Seller prior-to bidding. Potential Buyers can contact the Seller to view the piece prior-to the end of the auction or purchase. 

Shipping:  Domestic - Fedex Home Delivery (Ground) or Fedex Priority (2-Day) Mail - either, actual cost, including insurance for final auction or purchase value (to the extent limited by the carrier).  International - USPS Priority Mail International.  No shipping to PO Boxes or APO/FPO.  Pick-up in person by the Buyer (or designee) is optional.