Untitled (Gestural Abstraction) 1952

Sue Fuller created this print in 1952, layering colors and gestural marks. Note how the curvilinear forms, rendered in blues, greens, and reds, dominate the composition. These sweeping, energetic lines evoke a sense of movement and fluidity, but also echo the ancient symbol of the serpent, or Ouroboros. Consider how similar motifs appear in the art of ancient Greece, where snakes represent healing and renewal. The snake's cyclical nature embodies ideas of rebirth, just as these lines overlap and intertwine, creating an endless loop of visual energy. From the caduceus, a symbol of medicine, to the writhing Laocoön, the image of the serpent has, throughout history, served as a potent reminder of life's inherent struggle, its constant state of change, and the psychological tension between creation and destruction. Fuller's abstraction taps into this collective memory, engaging us on a subconscious level with the primal forces symbolized by the serpent.