Summer 1962

Curator: The dominant reds and oranges immediately strike you, don't they? Almost a visceral, volcanic sensation. Editor: Indeed. Frank Lobdell’s "Summer," painted in 1962, certainly evokes heat and intensity. This canvas speaks volumes about the Abstract Expressionist movement brewing during that period. Its tumultuous aesthetic is more than just an explosion of color. What were some of the driving forces influencing the art market at the time? Curator: Well, if we observe the artist's employment of impasto, those thick, gestural brushstrokes not only define form but almost embody raw emotion. One sees hints of Fauvism, recalling the unblended use of color. Editor: Yes, the painting as an object in itself. We cannot separate "Summer" from the broader socioeconomic climate of post-war America. How the expanding gallery system fueled a taste for these kinds of large-scale abstractions. Do you see the influence? Curator: You know I always tend to appreciate Lobdell's control in apparent chaos, yet the biomorphic shapes wrestle with the hard-edged geometry like that cross at the center... an emblem almost…it anchors the composition. Editor: I see how the crosses echo a dialogue with religious iconography within a secular landscape. The forms perhaps represent cultural anxieties. Also, notice how Abstract Expressionism shifted the artistic center from Paris to New York; "Summer" is, after all, a product of a burgeoning American self-confidence. Curator: Ultimately, Lobdell's arrangement presents an interplay between intention and chance, guiding the viewer toward his articulation of form and expression through paint. Editor: So, beyond its vibrant immediacy, "Summer" by Frank Lobdell serves as both art object and historical record, inviting discourse regarding America’s cultural posture during a pivotal era. Curator: Yes, an enduring work to experience with fresh eyes, again and again.