Radiante

Object Details

Artist

Olga Albizu, born Ponce, Puerto Rico 1924-died New York, NY 2005

Gallery Label

In Radiante, Olda Albizu rhythmically applied large blocks of yellow, orange, and black paint against a vibrant background to orchestrate what she called "a conversation between color and form." The result is a joyous work that bathes the viewer in light. Like most of Albizu's canvases, Radiante conjures a mood -- or a temperature -- rather than a specific time or place. Albizu was associated with vanguard currents in Puerto Rican art that favored abstraction over figuration and nationalist-inflected themes. After graduating from university, she studied painting in New York, Paris, and Florence before returning to and settling in New York for good in 1946. There, her work became increasingly aligned with abstract expressionism at a time when this movement was defining New York as a new global art center.

Exhibition Label

In Radiante, Albizu rhythmically applied large blocks of pigment against a yellow background to orchestrate what she called “a conversation between color and form.” Her vivid palette conveys that, like other abstract expressionists, she believed in the emotive power of color. Albizu’s works are recognized worldwide because her canvases graced the covers of several RCA and Verve jazz albums, including the bossa nova classic Getz/Gilberto (1964). One of the first Puerto Rican artists to embrace abstraction, Albizu studied with painter Esteban Vicente before moving to New York City. There she became a student of Hans Hofmann, the German émigré artist who had a decisive impact on midcentury American art.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013

Publication Label

The Latino Art Collection at the Smithsonian American Art Museum represents a deep and continuing commitment to building a great national collection reflecting the rich contributions of Latinos to the United States, from the colonial period to the present. These artworks present a picture of an evolving national culture that challenges expectations of what is meant by the words American and Latino.

Smithsonian American Art Museum: Commemorative Guide. Nashville, TN: Beckon Books, 2015.

Credit Line

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of JPMorgan Chase

1967

Object number

2013.17

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions

68 x 62 in. (172.7 x 157.5 cm)

See more items in

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department

Painting and Sculpture

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic

Abstract

Record ID

saam_2013.17

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7e2b65cc5-158f-4855-be75-a1085f8d23b0