Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an acrylic painting by the Contemporary Abstract artist Alma Woodsey Thomas. It dates from 1973 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
This painting is all bright orange shapes on a deep blue background. The orange looks like tangled lines or maybe cracks in ice. It fills the whole canvas—no empty spots, just a busy mix of colors.
The artist used thick paint to make the orange stand out. The brushstrokes are uneven, giving it a rough, almost textured look.
Check out Alma Woodsey Thomas next—she made this in 1973.
Overview
Created in 1973, this untitled work by Alma Woodsey Thomas is an abstract composition executed in acrylic on canvas. The painting belongs to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it is displayed as part of the institution’s mid‑20th‑century American art holdings.
Subject & Meaning
The canvas is dominated by a field of vivid orange forms that appear as tangled lines or fissures, set against a deep blue ground. The juxtaposition of the hot, energetic orange against the cool, expansive blue generates a visual tension that invites contemplation of contrast, movement, and the interplay of natural phenomena such as fire and ice.
Technique & Style
Thomas applied the acrylic paint thickly, allowing the orange areas to rise from the surface and catch light. The brushwork is irregular, producing a rough, almost sculptural texture that emphasizes the materiality of the medium. The overall effect is a dense, all‑over pattern with no empty space, characteristic of her abstract, color‑focused approach.
History & Provenance
After its completion in 1973, the painting entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it has remained. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s interest in representing African‑American abstract painters of the post‑war period, and it continues to serve as a reference point for Thomas’s contribution to American abstraction.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alma Woodsey Thomas was an American artist and art teacher who lived and worked in Washington, D.C., and is now recognized as a major American painter of the 20th century.
