Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Abstract Expressionist artist Wally Hedrick. It dates from 1957 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1957, this oil on canvas by Wally Hedrick belongs to the Abstract Expressionist vein that flourished in post‑war America. The work measures a circular format and is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. Its composition relies on repeated geometric motifs and a strong contrast between a dark perimeter and a luminous central zone.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a concentric arrangement of small, light‑toned squares that radiate from the center like a burst, surrounded by sweeping, leaf‑shaped forms rendered in earthy reds, browns, and occasional orange discs. While the imagery remains non‑representational, the interplay of bright and shadowed areas suggests a dynamic tension between emergence and containment.
Technique & Style
Hedrick applied the oil pigment with a heavy, impasto brushstroke that leaves a palpable surface texture. The thick application emphasizes the warm palette and creates a tactile quality that catches light differently across the canvas. The hand‑crafted strokes and the bold, repetitive shapes are characteristic of the gestural abstraction prevalent among his contemporaries.
History & Provenance
The canvas entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings after being acquired directly from the artist’s estate in the early 1970s. It has since been included in several exhibitions that trace the development of West Coast abstract painting and Hedrick’s role in the broader American avant‑garde.
Context
Hedrick emerged from California’s 1950s countercultural scene, where he experimented across media ranging from painting to later psychedelic light installations and assemblage. This work reflects his early engagement with Abstract Expressionism before he shifted toward more experimental, interdisciplinary practices that would define his later career.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wally Bill Hedrick (1928 – December 17, 2003) was a seminal American artist in the 1950s California counterculture, gallerist, and educator who came to prominence in the early 1960s.
