Abstract Painting: Red
1952
82 x 22 in. (208.28 x 55.88 cm)
Ad Reinhardt
United States
(Buffalo NY, 1913 - 1967, New York NY)
Object Type:
Painting
Medium and Support:
Oil on canvas
Credit Line:
Marion Stratton Gould Fund
Accession Number:
1968.47
Location: Currently on view
Ad Reinhardt took a philosophical point of view when it came to making fine art and explaining its significance. An influential writer on the subject, he is remembered for having made the following statement: “Art is Art, and Life is Life.” The spirit of this statement is well represented by this painting, which has a very subtle composition that only emerges for the viewer after close inspection. For Reinhardt, to appreciate the true significance of art one shouldn’t compare it to anything else. Art is an idea that is revealed only through pure form and content. For Reinhardt, art cannot teach you about the world. It can only teach you about art.
[Summer 2015]