Hot Half 1962

"Hot Half" is an intriguing, undated piece by Morris Louis, an artist working during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Louis, a white man, engaged with Abstract Expressionism at a time when debates about racial equality were reshaping American society. Consider the stark contrast in “Hot Half”: A vibrant band of colors—warm yellows, oranges, and greens—slices diagonally across a vast, undifferentiated white field. What does it mean to be “hot” in this context? The title suggests passion, energy, even anger, all emotions central to the struggle for civil rights. Yet, this energy is neatly contained, bordered, and framed within whiteness. Louis, like many artists of his generation, grappled with how to represent—or perhaps, how to not directly represent—the tumultuous social landscape of the time. The painting becomes a space where the personal and the political blur, leaving us to feel the tension of unspoken narratives. Is it possible to engage with passion and identity when its clearly marked, when its kept separate from the whole?