Blanco y Verde

Carmen Herrera, Blanco y Verde, 1960, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2011.27A-B, © 1960 Carmen Herrera
Carmen Herrera, Blanco y Verde, 1960, acrylic on canvas, overall: 4896 in. (121.9243.8 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2011.27A-B, © 1960 Carmen Herrera

Artwork Details

Title
Blanco y Verde
Date
1960
Dimensions
overall: 4896 in. (121.9243.8 cm)
Copyright
© 1960 Carmen Herrera
Credit Line
Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment
Mediums
Mediums Description
acrylic on canvas
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Abstract — geometric
Object Number
2011.27A-B

Artwork Description

Carmen Herrera's paintings conjure spatial tension and movement through crisp geometry and bold color. Blanco y Verde is from a series of paintings she created using only two colors--green and white--and sharp triangular forms. The physical edges of the canvas serve as part of the composition, defining at least one side of each triangle.

As a woman and a Cuban immigrant, Herrera faced hurdles gaining recognition within the US art world. After decades of creating her highly refined, minimal paintings, she began attracting public acclaim in the 1990s. She continued working until near the end of her life at age 106. "I believe that I will always be in awe of the straight line," she said, "its beauty is what keeps me painting."
Description in Spanish

Herrera, quien partió de su Cuba natal hacia Nueva York en 1939, es conocida por sus nítidos lienzos geométricos producidos durante y después de una productiva estadía de cinco años en París (19481953). Aunque Herrera se sentía excluida del ámbito del arte comercial, interactuó con sus colegas, los artistas estadounidenses Barnett Newman y Leon Polk Smith, que también estaban creando obras geométricas. En Blanco y Verde, Herrera construyó una serie de puntos de presión donde la punta de los triángulos verdes toca los bordes de las telas, topándose entre sí hasta crear una forma triangular aun mayor que abre el espacio pictórico. El resultado es una obra dinámica que invita a los espectadores a descifrar las relaciones cambiantes entre color y forma.

Nuestra América: la presencia latina en el arte estadounidense, 2013

Works by this artist (3 items)

John Mascoll, Untitled Wood Vessel with Lid, not dated, royal palm and cocobolo, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jeffrey Bernstein, M.D. and Judith Chernoff, M.D., 2021.66.24
Untitled Wood Vessel with Lid
Datenot dated
royal palm and cocobolo
Not on view
John Mascoll, Untitled Lidded Vessel, 2016, citrus, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jeffrey Bernstein, M.D. and Judith Chernoff, M.D., 2021.66.26
Untitled Lidded Vessel
Date2016
citrus
Not on view
John Mascoll, Untitled Lidded Vessel, 2016, bleached chinaberry, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Jeffrey Bernstein, M.D. and Judith Chernoff, M.D., 2021.66.25
Untitled Lidded Vessel
Date2016
bleached chinaberry
Not on view

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      In this series, E. Carmen Ramos, curator of Latino art, discusses the exhibition Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. This episode looks at the painting Blanco y Verde by Carmen HerreraOur America: The Latino Presence in American Art presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. The exhibition is drawn entirely from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's pioneering collection of Latino art. It explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture.

      Related Books

      OurAmerica_500.jpg
      Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
      Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture. This beautifully illustrated volume presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. Our America includes works by artists who participated in all the various artistic styles and movements, including abstract expressionism; activist, conceptual, and performance art; and classic American genres such as landscape, portraiture, and scenes of everyday life. 

      Exhibitions

      Media - 2011.12 - SAAM-2011.12_1 - 77591
      Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
      October 25, 2013March 2, 2014
      Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge.

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      Curator for Latino Art, E. Carmen Ramos, shares some of her thoughts about a recent acquisition now on view in the Lincoln Gallery on the third floor.
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      E. Carmen Ramos
      Former Curator of Latinx Art

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