Robert Motherwell

Motherwell, Elegy to the Spanish Republic #167 (Spanish Earth Elegy) (detail), 1985.

Photo: Copyright Dedalus Foundations, Inc./Licensed by Vaga, New York, NY

American artist Robert Motherwell (1915–91) left a massive body of work ranging from Cubism to Surrealism to Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art—all admirably presented by “An Attitude Toward Reality,” which supports prints, paintings and collages from Minneapolis’s Walker Art Center with just the right amount of context.

Uniquely aware of Abstract Expressionism’s roots in early modern art, Motherwell almost seems to treat his paintings and lithographs as opportunities to extend Cézanne’s and Picasso’s deconstructive work. This intellectual approach distinguishes his work from, and may make it more interesting than, that of New York School peers who focused more on raw expression.

“An Attitude Toward Reality” emphasizes the various concepts and methods Motherwell employed, beginning with automatism, meant to tap into unconscious imagery. The simple splatters of red and blue ink in the 1960s Lyric Suite reflect a shift toward more intentional and mature abstract works, including the striking Africa Suite (1970). Stark black forms vibrating against white backgrounds in these minimalist screenprints reflect the artist’s talent for creating deep, void-like spaces on flat surfaces. Motherwell’s 1983 illustrations of Rafael Alberti’s “El Negro” enhance the poem’s lyricism with the emotive properties of raw color.

Our only (small) problem with this exhibition is that it’s too safe. Clustering Motherwell’s small prints and drawings around his larger paintings and screenprints, which may well result from space constraints, helps viewers understand the progression of his career. But it takes away from what should be a meditative experience. There’s nothing like running smack into a big Elegy to the Spanish Republic in an otherwise empty room.

• More Art & Design reviews
• More Art & Design articles