Aurora 1977

Friedel Dzubas made 'Aurora' with large swaths of vibrant color laid across the canvas. Dzubas was part of a generation of artists working in post-war America who aimed to create a universal visual language. The stain painting technique seen here, where thinned paint soaks directly into the canvas, became popular during the mid-20th century. It rejected the illusionism of traditional painting. This abstraction aligned with the cultural mood of the Cold War era. There was a sense that older representational forms were inadequate for expressing contemporary experience. To understand 'Aurora' better, we can look to exhibition reviews, artists' statements, and the broader history of abstract art. These resources reveal how artists reacted to the social and institutional conditions of their time, and how the meaning of their work continues to evolve.