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Perception and Technique in Abstract Art

December 15, 2021
- July 24, 2022

Perception and Technique in Abstract Art presents longstanding Museum highlights by Sam Gilliam, Thomas Downing, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Francis, Ellsworth Kelly, Gene Davis, Paul Reed, and Victor Vasarely.

PS 1968.155 Fnt DD 20170731

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In the years following World War II, many artists experimented by pouring, dripping, or thickly dabbing wet paint onto their blank canvases. They prioritized the act or event of painting over the final picture, creating abstract works where we see traces of techniques as opposed to traditional subjects. These artists took their lead from Jackson Pollock, famous for his drip paintings, and from Helen Frankenthaler, who poured paint onto raw canvas and then used brushes and other tools to produce washes of color. As Frankenthaler said: “There are no rules, let the picture lead you where it must go.”

In opposition to the artists who took their lead from Pollock and Frankenthaler, there was another group of abstract artists, who produced works that made the artist’s hand or physical activity mostly disappear. These artists produced paintings, sculptures, and prints that at first appear to be colorful exercises in geometry, with their precise circles, squares, and straight lines. However, through our own active participation as viewers, these equally experimental works yield illusionistic or even distorting effects that ultimately provide very different, at times almost hallucinogenic, experiences.

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Paul Reed (American, 1919–2015). Step, 1968. Acrylic on canvas. Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Gift of the Paul and Esther Reed Trust, 2017.055
Frankenthaler2
Credit: Ellsworth Kelly (American, 1923-2015) Red Blue (detail), 1963. Oil on canvas. Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Museum purchase, Washington Gallery of Modern Art Collection, 1968.155

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Meet local artist LaQuincey Reed and tour OKCMOA's special exhibition "True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism!" 👨‍🎨  Sign up for a guided tour that provides conversation-based insights from artist LaQuincey Reed and OKCMOA Educator Bryon Chambers. Reed’s artistic practice involves the same technique used by Auguste Rodin, the lost-wax cast method. Attendees will get an insider’s perspective into Rodin’s artistic process, including sculpting in clay, mold-making, and a better understanding of how Rodin’s bronze sculptures—both large and small—continue to amaze audiences today.  👨‍🎨 Register online at okcmoa.com/events
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In the first gallery of "True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism," artist Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse grabs the attention of visitors with the captivating marble sculpture "Between Two Loves."♡  A young woman is trapped between two types of love: the romantic, represented by the cupid figure standing on tiptoes and whispering in her ear, and the maternal, represented by the infant encircled within her protective embrace. Carrier-Belleuse was a prolific artist who found great success by breathing new life into Neoclassical sculpture, which was static and formal.  From 1864-79, Auguste Rodin worked in the highly organized workshop of Carrier-Belleuse, where he perfected his skills both in modeling clay and carving marble and learned how to run a large-scale workshop.  ⭐ Visit "True Nature" before the exhibition closes in October! Go to okcmoa.com/buytickets
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Happy First Day of Fall from the Museum Store! 🍁🎃 Add some [pumpkin] spice to your home decor, sip on autumn cocktails/mocktails, and purchase themed games for the Halloween party you're planning.  Looking for a miniature, art-related version of Spirit Halloween? We can help you out. Shop in-store or online at okcmoastore.com!
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OKCMOA is pleased to invite you to Museum Store x Ganache, a partnership with Ganache Patisserie. In addition to the enhanced shopping experience in the new space, visitors can enjoy a full bar with coffee, cocktails, beer, wine, and grab-and-go options from Ganache, including sweet and savory items. 

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A film still from Scrapper featuring Harris Dickinson and Lola Campbell. Courtesy of Kino Lorber
September 22, 2023
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