Rita Deanin Abbey
Art Museum

Texture Series

6 on display, 7 in series

A close up detail photo of the Rita Deanin Abbey work 'Magma, 1975.' This photo emphasizes the orange and red saturated line that cuts through the center of the composition. The top half of the work has a rough texture coated in black paint. The light reflecting off the work emphasizes the textured composition.
Magma(1975) detail

In this series Abbey explored textured surfaces, producing the Texture Series. The surface of the canvases were built-up to achieve earth-like textures using the application of acrylic paint, sand, and sawdust mixed with polymer gloss medium.

With highly textured surfaces suggestive of geological processes and forms, and with precise use of color, the paintings acquire a sense of earth’s tension, movement, and contour. Her eagerness to explore new materials continued to foster experimentation with textures. Restricted hues mixed with sand, sawdust, and earth created flowing planes of textured surfaces.

Series Highlights