MARTHA DIAMOND American Dance Festival 1981, 1981 - Signed

This striking lithograph was created by Martha Diamond for the American Dance Festival in 1981, printed on B.F.K. Rives and signed and numbered in pencil in an edition of 150. Known for her expressive interpretations of urban architecture, Diamond transforms the cityscape into an energetic, almost choreographed field of shapes. Angular yellow building forms rise against a deep black ground, their tilted silhouettes and uneven windows suggesting motion, rhythm, and the pulse of city life.

The imagery feels less like a literal skyline and more like a visual metaphor for dance: the buildings lean, sway, and seem to vibrate with the same dynamic energy found on stage. Diamond’s simplified forms and bold contrasts capture the improvisational spirit of both modern architecture and contemporary dance—a natural connection for an artist long inspired by the structure, density, and constant movement of New York.

A powerful example of Diamond’s graphic work, this poster bridges urban abstraction with the kinetic world of performance, making it both a collectible festival print and a quintessential expression of early 1980s downtown visual culture.