Labyrinth of Forms

During the 1930s and 1940s, abstraction began to gain momentum as
an exciting, fresh approach to modern artmaking in the United States, and a small contingent of American artists dedicated themselves to it. Labyrinth of Forms, a title inspired by an Alice Trumbull Mason work in the exhibition, alludes to the sense of discovery that drove these artists to establish a visual language reflecting the advances of the twentieth century.

A significant number of American abstractionists were women, and their efforts propelled the formal, technical, and conceptual evolution of abstract art in this country. A few, such as Lee Krasner and Louise Nevelson, have been duly recognized, but most remain overlooked despite their contributions. Drawn entirely from the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art, Labyrinth of Forms highlights both the achievements of these artists and the ways in which works on paper served as sites for important exploration and innovation.

This exhibition was organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Special thanks to Adam D. Weinberg, Alice Pratt Brown Director.

Exhibition supported by:

Diana Bugg & Jim Bertlesman
Harriet Derwingson
Scott Foster & Paul Arata
Gretchen & Bob Gardner
Jeanne Walker Harvey
Cherie & Keith Hughes
Susan Kornblatt Idell & Richard J. Idell
Monica Kuhlman Jacobson & Mark Jacobson
Katharine Kunst & Katherine Fulton
Manitou Fund
Leslie & Mac McQuown
Elaine & Graham Smith
Dana Simpson-Stokes & Ken Stokes
Judy & Les Vadasz