Pasadena, CA
Details
- Dimensions
- 49.25ʺW × 1.5ʺD × 37.25ʺH
- Styles
- Abstract Expressionism
- Art Subjects
- Abstract
- Frame Type
- Framed
- Period
- Late 20th Century
- Country of Origin
- United States
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
Shop Sustainably with Chairish
- Materials
- Acrylic Paint
- Condition
- Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Orange
- Condition Notes
- Good. Good. less
- Description
-
This vast abstract canvas stages a confrontation between shapes and colors, evoking the hues of autumn leaves. It is crossed …
more
This vast abstract canvas stages a confrontation between shapes and colors, evoking the hues of autumn leaves. It is crossed by a dark, horizontal band, like a slash cleaving the space. The band resembles a dark river, dividing two distinct worlds, perhaps even distant continents.
Each world appears to be populated by imaginary landscapes: a pink forest, orange oceans, and sandy plains. With a subtle mastery of color and form where some collages appear in places, the artist — Shirley Blevis — creates a rhythmic pulse that elicits an immediate emotional response. It requires neither shared experience nor specific interpretation; the work exists in emotion and imagination, speaking to our narratives rather than a collective story. Observing becomes an intuitive process in which the viewer’s inner scenery reshapes their understanding of the work.
One of abstract art’s essential qualities is its ability to convey meaning through ambiguity, inviting us to craft our interpretations. Like a Rorschach test, where each person projects their perceptions onto inkblots, this canvas calls for personal reflection. Here, shades of pink and orange might suggest lush landscapes or paradisiacal ocean visions, while the ecru plains evoke tranquility or perhaps desolation, depending on the viewer’s state of mind. The winding black river, crossing the center of the composition, creates a tension that simultaneously attracts and repels, acting as a boundary — or an invitation to choose — between these two worlds. It embodies a nervousness between separation and unity, suggesting a possible connection. This dichotomy mirrors the human experience, blending emotions like joy and sadness, hope and despair. less
Pasadena, CA
Questions about the item?
Featured Promoted Listings
Related Collections
- 1800s Oil Paintings
- Abstract Sailboat Paintings
- Abstract Horse Paintings
- Abstract Nude Paintings
- Abstract Vase Paintings
- Abstract Acrylic Paintings
- Chinese Silk Paintings
- Styrofoam Paintings
- Abstract Autumn Paintings
- Chinese Glass Paintings
- Associated American Artists Paintings
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir Paintings
- Irving Amen Paintings
- Classical Roman Paintings
- Byzantine Paintings
- Molly Frances Paintings
- Classical Greek Paintings
- Abstract Apple Paintings
- Abstract Palm Tree Paintings
- Angel Oil Paintings
- Black Abstract Paintings
- Brass Finish Paintings
- Daylight Dream Editions Paintings
- Lee Reynolds Paintings
- Mid-Century Modern Paintings