Sam Glankoff: A Celebrated Artist's Work

Sam Glankoff (1894-1982)

“Spreading the Beauty”

Sam Glankoff (1894-1982) was an American modernist master, known for a unique transfer method of painting on woodblock boards onto handmade Japanese paper panels, combining elements of both painting and printmaking in a whole new genre.  It is a technique that is both captivating and unclassifiable. In this blog post, we will explore the aesthetic quality of SGW Collections’ archival ink-jet reproductions selected from Sam Glankoff's Print-Paintings that are available through the SGW Collections website.

One of the most striking aspects of Glankoff's modernist works, is his bold use of color. Giving each work a powerful and dynamic resonance, his hand-mixed colors; colored hues and striking contrasts contribute to the palpable “life force” that emanates from each work. The artworks selected to form the SGW Collection Edition prints feature primordial forms, abstracted figures, and circles. This combination of bold color and organic form creates a unique visual experience that is both thought-provoking and timeless.

Sam Glankoff in his New York studio. Image taken from the short film, Rearranging Short Dreams.

The SGW Collections reproduction prints on archival paper, are 10% smaller than Glankoff’s original Print-Paintings. Each archival ink-jet print is individually embossed with a GLANKOFF SGW stamp. Unique to his process of building aggregate panels to create large works, so too, the SGW Collections Edition Prints are described as One Panel, Two Panel, Four Panel and Six Panel works;  a variety of sizes and formats, making it easy to find the perfect piece to fit any space.

Glankoff’s original print-paintings are, at it’s core, the foundation of the SGW Collections, which consist today, of the Sam Glankoff SGW Collection Edition Prints, The SGW Gesture Prints, The SGW Bespoke Prints, “Art of Glankoff” rugs for Perennials, and SGW Wallpapers and Wall Murals for the Newlon Collection.  

The Sam Glankoff SGW Collection Edition Print "SGW-PP 4125 (Pink and Blue)."

One of the standout prints in the Sam Glankoff SGW Collection Edition Prints series is SGW-PP 4125, the “Pink Circle”, which holds within it’s signature resonance, the “monumental quiet” that Glankoff’s work is known for. This print has been at the center of many designer’s choice for their client’s homes.

Photo Credit: 4 Portraits, Sam Glankoff by Winnie Denker.