About The Art

The Butler’s Permanent Collection has long been known for its narrative works. Such stars as Hopper, Henri, O’Keeffe, Homer, and Bellows are treasured for their representational approach. Yet little is known of the Butler’s strong showing of abstraction and nonrepresentational works. The artists represented in this exhibition are well known, with works covering such 20th century movements as hard-edge abstraction, expressionism, and minimalism.

Color Into Form examines color as the architecture of Abstraction. From Jenkins and Daphnis beginning the conversation with the tension between the fluid and the precise, to Krushenik and Smith explore the boundaries between hard edge and minimalism with vibrant, bold hues that harness structure and energy. Yayoi Kusama’s obsessive repetition, with its rhythmic patterns and meticulous use of color, introduces a counterpoint—her passion for the infinite manifests through simple forms and fragile materials like pastel on paper underscores the paradox of control and boundlessness. This interplay is further deepened by the optical and spatial experiments of Ronald Davis and Douglas Craft, where dimensionality and perspective shift the viewer’s perception of both surface and depth. Calder’s rhythmic arrangement of shapes echo the balance found in his kinetic works on a two-dimensional plane engages as the only representational work in the exhibition while maintaining the bold color and structure that unites the theme. Together, these artists challenge the viewer to experience color as both a physical presence and a conceptual framework, each creating their own visual language that redefines abstraction through color, form, and materiality.

*Exhibition end date subject to change*

DATE: October 5, 2024 - May 25, 2025