Born in Pinsk, Belarus, Hilda Levy moved to the United States in 1919, later studying art at UCLA and the Jepson Art Institute. She trained with such notable artists as Leonard Edmondson and Adolph Gottlieb before enjoying her own successful career in Southern California. In this lively work, Levy explores the “all-over” painting style popularized by the Abstract Expressionists. She takes an improvisational and experimental approach, activating the entire surface of the support with equal attention. Diverse techniques––including painting, dripping, smearing and cutting––build up and break down layers of paint, while unexpected materials like molten wax produce bold, textural contrasts. Imbued with a sense of agitated movement, the surface of the work reflects the intense, almost frenetic energy of Levy’s creative process.
Details
- Artist Name: Hilda Levy (American, 1908-2001)
- Title: Number Six
- Date: 1954
- Medium: Mixed media (with wax) on board
- Dimensions: 11-3/4 x 16 in. (29.8 x 40.6 cm)
- Credit Line: Norton Simon Museum, Gift of Mr. Norton Simon
- Accession Number: P.1977.08
- Copyright: © Estate of Hilda D. Levy
Object Information
Norton Simon Museum.
- Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 74 p. 253
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