Ascent (aka Liberation) 1946

Agnes Pelton painted this gorgeous work with oils, conjuring a world of soft light and gentle forms. Can you imagine her in her studio, coaxing these hazy shapes into being? The palette is subdued, almost ethereal - lavender, cream, and silvery lilac. Pelton’s brushstrokes are soft and blended. The paint is applied in thin layers, creating a luminous effect, like light filtering through a cloud. There’s a sense of upward movement here, a pale form like a sail or a flame, surrounded by swirling mist, gently rising. It reminds me of Georgia O’Keefe’s abstractions and Hilma af Klimt's spiritual paintings. The lower portion of the image seems more grounded, rooted, while the top opens into a world of limitless possibility. It reminds us that artists are always in conversation, each building upon the discoveries and innovations of those who came before. Painting is, in this way, an act of reaching towards something beyond ourselves.