Balcomb Greene, Way Down Blue, 1945, oil on canvas, 20 x 29 15⁄16 in. (50.8 x 76.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.44
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Way Down Blue
- Artist
- Date
- 1945
- Location
- Dimensions
- 20 x 29 15⁄16 in. (50.8 x 76.0 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Abstract
- Figure female
- Object Number
- 1986.92.44
Artwork Description
Many of the lines and shapes in Balcomb Greene’s abstract paintings suggest recognizable forms. In Way Down Blue the zigzagging line through the center of the image evokes the horizon of a surreal landscape, and the curved black shape to the left resembles a female figure standing against a long white wall. Greene created a dramatic sense of depth by painting the white shapes so that they appear to recede into the distance. He plays with the relationships between the forms, painting lines and shadows to highlight the space between them.