Red Abstraction

Alma Thomas, Red Abstraction, 1960, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.1
Copied Alma Thomas, Red Abstraction, 1960, oil on canvas, 36 1⁄4 x 30 in. (92.1 x 76.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1978.40.1

Artwork Details

Title
Red Abstraction
Artist
Date
1960
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
36 1⁄4 x 30 in. (92.1 x 76.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1978.40.1
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1978.40.1

Artwork Description

Thomas began shifting from representation to abstraction in the late 1950s. She developed her signature style, using “stripes” of bright color, in the mid-1960s. Red Abstraction represents a moment in this evolution, before the artist moved into high-key color and acrylic paint. Rendered in oil paint, the painting testifies to Thomas’s persistent interest in the abstract forms and colors of nature. Its oranges and reds evoke the vibrant foliage of fall, while vertical swipes of black suggest the directional growth of trees.