Untitled 1962

Ray Parker made this untitled painting with what looks like simple blocks of color applied to an unprimed canvas. It’s hard to date it precisely. This kind of painting emerged in the United States during the Post-War period, after Abstract Expressionism. Artists began to turn away from the grand gestures of figures like Jackson Pollock, towards a cooler, more minimal style. They were often associated with particular schools, movements or institutions, such as the Washington Color School. The politics of this kind of imagery are complex. On the one hand, its abstraction seems to signal a withdrawal from social issues. Yet it could also be seen as progressive in its attempt to create a new kind of visual experience, free from conventional representation. We can use institutional records, artists’ statements, and critical reviews to better understand the social context of these works, and how they challenge established norms. Ultimately, the meaning of art lies in understanding the conditions that shape its production and reception.