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Artworks
Betty Parsons
Untitled, 1980Acrylic on wood34 x 14 1/2 x 3 in (86.36 x 36.83 x 7.62 cm)BP403Further images
Parsons explained that her motivation in the studio was a desire to capture “the invisible presence,” a phrase she coined in 1977, which was indicative of her interest in mysticism...Parsons explained that her motivation in the studio was a desire to capture “the invisible presence,” a phrase she coined in 1977, which was indicative of her interest in mysticism related to indigenous American art. Her aim to represent pure energy was present in her paintings, assemblages, and diaries. Beginning in 1965, she created painted wooden sculptures, such as this untitled (1980) work composed of wood elements found during walks on the beach near her studio in Southold, Long Island. As curator Abigail Winograd notes, these geometric assemblages which furthered Parsons’ formal explorations, “are, in some ways, reminiscent of Dada sculpture but also indebted to a lifelong interest in Native American and forms of non-Western artistic practice.”Provenance
Hindman Auctions, Chicago
Estate of David C. Heath, Atlanta, Georgia
