Sculptural Forms 8 (Dark Blue, Green, Light Blue, Light Green)

1984

Sculptural Forms 8 (Dark Blue, Green, Light Blue, Light Green), 1984. George Rogers (American, 1930–2002). Color sculpturegraph on Arches wove paper; image: 86.8 x 56.1 cm (34 3/16 x 22 1/16 in.); sheet: 96.9 x 65.1 cm (38 1/8 x 25 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. Roger J. Lerch in Memory of Carl J. Lerch and Winifred J. Lerch Endowment and partial gift of Stephen Dull 2021.171 Detroit-based sculptor George Rogers developed his own innovative printmaking technique, “sculpturegraphs,” which was used to make this work. Born in Alabama, Rogers moved to Ohio and graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1959. In 1984, he received a federal grant to develop his new graphic method. Here, Rogers inked various materials including plastic, paper, and wood veneer, overlaying them so that biomorphic shapes of his own design intersected and blurred when run through a press. In addition to his artistic career, George Rogers worked professionally at the Ford Motor Company, where he was the first Black clay modeler.