This major exhibition explores new forms of abstract painting from the 1960s, following the heyday of Abstract Expressionism. Highlighting color-based, geometric, and perceptual experiments, this selection of works from the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation Collection includes an international group of 33 artists associated with some of the key painting movements of the mid-20th century: Color Field, Post-Painterly Abstraction, Hard-Edge, and Op Art. Bold Abstractions at Rockford Art Museum marks the first time the Thoma’s significant post-war painting collection has been shown at a public institution.
Bold Abstractions includes work by Josef Albers, Peter Alexander, Richard Anuszkiewicz, Antonio Asis, Karl Benjamin, Judy Chicago, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Gene Davis, Ronald Davis, Thomas Downing, Friedel Dzubas, Wojciech Fangor, Lorser Feitelson, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Frederick Hammersley, June Harwood, Charles Hinman, Paul Jenkins, Julio Le Parc, Morris Louis, Alvin Loving, Helen Lundeberg, John McLaughlin, Ed Mieczkowski, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Matilde Perez, Paul Reed, Julian Stanczak, Tadasky, Anne Truitt, and Victor Vasarely.
This exhibition is organized by Carrie Johnson. Support for Bold Abstractions: Paintings from the Thoma Collection and its related programming—including free daily admission to all visitors for the duration of the exhibition—is provided by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, and partially supported by a Partners in Excellence grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
All images courtesy of Rockford Art Museum.
