Bold Abstractions: Paintings from the Thoma Collection

   October 11, 2019 – January 26, 2020
   Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL

Installation view of Bold Abstractions: Paintings from the Thoma Collection at the Rockford Art Museum, 2019. Photo courtesy of Rockford Art Museum.

Artists Included:
Josef Albers, Karl Benjamin, Gene Davis, Helen Frankenthaler, June Harwood, Morris Louis

This major exhibition explores new forms of abstract painting from the 1960s, following the heyday of Abstract Expressionism. Highlighting color-based, geometric, and perceptual experiments, this selection of works from the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation Collection includes an international group of 33 artists associated with some of the key painting movements of the mid-20th century: Color Field, Post-Painterly Abstraction, Hard-Edge, and Op Art. Bold Abstractions at Rockford Art Museum marks the first time the Thoma’s significant post-war painting collection has been shown at a public institution.

Artists included: Josef Albers, Peter Alexander, Richard Anuszkiewicz, Antonio Asis, Karl Benjamin, Judy Chicago, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Gene Davis, Ronald Davis, Thomas Downing, Friedel Dzubas, Wojciech Fangor, Lorser Feitelson, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Frederick Hammersley, June Harwood, Charles Hinman, Paul Jenkins, Julio Le Parc, Morris Louis, Alvin Loving, Helen Lundeberg, John McLaughlin, Ed Mieczkowski, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Matilde Perez, Paul Reed, Julian Stanczak, Tadasky, Anne Truitt, and Victor Vasarely.

This exhibition is organized by Carrie Johnson. Support for Bold Abstractions: Paintings from the Thoma Collection and its related programming—including free daily admission to all visitors for the duration of the exhibition—is provided by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation.

All images courtesy of Rockford Art Museum.

Learn More