Norman Lewis (1909 - 1979)

Title Unknown, 1955–1979, is an abstract painting showing the dynamic interaction between the alternating blue and red hues against the grained gray background. The dark lines outlining the edges of the color blocks suggest a hint of figural composition and activity, which are found in many of Lewis’s works, including one of his most prominent ones, Procession 1965, created around the same time Untitled 1955–1979 was produced. While the wider range of colors dominates the lower half of the canvas, the diminishing figures behind them gently merge with the pale atmosphere as if their existence is fading in society. This work represents Lewis’s ability for storytelling even in its most abstract forms, therefore creating a powerful artistic language that speaks through a timeless sphere.

Provenance

Private Collection

Bill Hodges Gallery, New York, NY

Exhibition History

Selections from the Hamptons Virtual Art Fair, 3 September – 17 October 2020 Bill Hodges Gallery, New York, NY

Literature

Bill Hodges Gallery, Norman Lewis: A Painter's Odyssey 1935 - 1979, New York, 2009, illus. p. 27 Bill Hodges Gallery, Norman W. Lewis, et al., New York, 2017, illus. p. 25

Title Unknown, 1955-1978

Oil on Canvas

37 1/4 x 62 ½ in. (94.6 x 158.8 cm)

Signed and Dated, Lower Left: NORMAN LEWIS 1955 – 1978