Agnes Pelton
American
Agnes Pelton’s images are not pictorial records of nature, but rather equivalents for her emotional experiences of it. Born to American parents in Germany and raised in New York, Pelton studied with Arthur Wesley Dow at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute. In 1921 she left New York for Long Island. There, she painted the first of her Symbolic Abstractions. She later settled in Cathedral City, California, where she was inspired in part by the spectacular natural environment around her studio.
Born
1881
Died
1961
How do you visualize spirituality?
Here, a triangular arrow surrounded by cloudlike forms suggests mountains and dramatic weather phenomena, while the doubled silhouettes may serve as a metaphor for biological reproduction. Pelton joined these forms, linking the forces of physical creation with the broader theme of cosmic creation. The arrow, S-curves, and snakelike lines connect the earthly and heavenly realms, conveying a sense of ascension and aspiration toward a higher state of spiritual rebirth and enlightenment.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Credit
Museum purchase, Harriet and Maurice Gregg Fund of American Abstract Art, The Harriet and Maurice Gregg Collection of American Abstract Art
Item ID
2000.134
Dimensions
32 x 26 in. (81.3 x 66 cm)
Date
1940
Country
Artist name
Agnes Pelton