A branch of Abstract Expressionism that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, Color Field art emphasizes large swaths of color, with dramatic use of line. The influence of the artists who pioneered the movement can still be felt in works today. Below are a few pieces in our collection that play with the principles of the Color Field movement.
Tom Bolles
Having abstracted the artistic process down to ones and zeros, Tom Bolles uses computer programs to “sketch” his ideas to maximize the intense relationships between light and color. These glowing hues leap from the canvas in a way that reminds us of Barnett Newman’s large-scale paintings. Bolles’ work typically features horizontal lines–a contrast to the verticality of Newman—but the sentiment of flooding a space with an impactful color becomes all the more modern with the addition of fluorescence.
Jeff Erickson
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The work of contemporary artist Jeff Erickson reminds us of Mark Rothko’s masterful use of color as an emotional expression. As he fearlessly takes on electrifying bright colors, Erickson employs an encaustic wax to build layers and then sanding away selected areas. This process of addition and reduction creates an incandescence that draws in the viewer and surrounds them with color and abstracted form.
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Michael Hoffman
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The concentric circles characteristic of Hoffman’s work echo the explorations of celebrated color field artist Kenneth Noland. Just as Noland used abstracted forms to examine the nature of pure color and the relationships between hues, Hoffman finds inspiration in playful pigmentation of organic shapes. Hoffman then expands on Noland’s circles with webs of textured lines that celebrate the artist’s materials and process for an added sense of depth that is truly stunning in person.
