Yield 1975

Betty Parsons created "Yield" using wood and paint, assembling a vibrant, tactile construction. The piece immediately strikes us with its playful composition of painted wooden blocks, arranged in a way that feels both deliberate and spontaneous. Parsons's use of colour is key here; the juxtaposition of earthy browns with bright blues, oranges, and greens creates a dynamic visual rhythm. Parsons, known for her keen eye in abstract expressionism, presents us with a work that flirts with semiotics. Are the blocks mere shapes, or do they hint at a deeper code? The horizontal and vertical arrangements suggest a kind of language, perhaps challenging fixed meanings and inviting us to decode its structure. Consider the materiality of the wood itself. Its rough texture and visible grain contrast with the smooth, flat planes of colour, destabilizing any clear category. It's in this tension between form and material that "Yield" operates, reminding us that art is not about static representation, but a dynamic process of engagement and interpretation.