Untitled 14 1960

John Altoon made this untitled painting with oils on canvas. The texture is immediately evident – thick impasto strokes that seem almost sculptural. Altoon’s method involved building up layers, a dance between control and chance, and a great deal of physical effort. We can really feel the energy expended in applying the paint. But this wasn’t just bravura for its own sake. The mid-century context is important here. The gestural style of Abstract Expressionism was, in a way, the last gasp of pure painting before the rise of Pop Art. It was a valorization of the individual artist, making their mark on a canvas. But we can also see Altoon’s work as reflecting the boom in postwar industrial production, with paint itself newly available in vibrant colors, and applied with newly refined tools. So, next time you look at an abstract painting like this, remember the material, the making, and the context that brought it into being. You’ll find that this approach enriches your experience of the art.