Untitled (Alabama) 1967

Editor: This is Norman Lewis's "Untitled (Alabama)" from 1967, made with acrylic paint. The strong contrast really strikes me. The solid blacks really make the shapes in white just pop out! How do you interpret this composition, with such simple geometry and abstract forms? Curator: Its monochromatic palette and dynamic composition exemplify the abstract expressionist style. Consider the way Lewis contrasts the density of the shapes in the lower left with the stark, solid black fields. Note also the linear extension at the top. Editor: The “linear extension," you say? Is there a particular visual tension there, for you? Curator: Yes. It seems as if there's a kind of visual rhyme between that upper band of abstracted shapes, and the dense cluster that anchors the piece on the lower left. The composition then establishes a powerful counter-rhythm of expansion and contraction. The negative space almost presses in on the positive forms, heightening the experience of spatial dynamism. Editor: So you're suggesting it’s about how the artist uses both shape and absence of shape together to make this piece work? Curator: Precisely. Line, form, and color—or the absence of it—are what drive the experience here, allowing viewers to focus on Lewis's remarkable ability to orchestrate abstract elements into a compelling whole. Editor: That's helpful. Looking at it that way really allows one to focus on composition alone, separating the form from any sort of external or historical context. Thanks! Curator: A close reading can be its own reward. We have isolated design elements while touching on theoretical applications that you might apply in future encounters with artworks such as this.