Towards 

Friedel Dzubas made "Towards," an abstract color field painting, sometime in the mid-twentieth century. This artwork sits within a history of postwar American painting that sought to reduce art to its most basic elements. The broad swaths of color and the lack of representational imagery can be understood as a reaction against the dominant art institutions of the time. These institutions promoted more traditional, representational forms of art. Artists like Dzubas were looking for a new visual language that could reflect the changing social and political landscape of the United States after World War II. The ambiguity and openness of "Towards" invites viewers to bring their own experiences and interpretations to the work. By consulting period publications, exhibition reviews, and artists’ writings, we gain a richer understanding of the cultural debates that shaped this artwork. Ultimately, its meaning remains contingent on its historical context.