Mari Lyons, a contemporary artist whose career spanned over 40 years, often used vibrant colors to bring her paintings to life. As her work captured the active beauty of the world around us, she invites the viewer to appreciate the joy that blooms from life’s quiet and ordinary routines.
In Abstract in Pink, Lyons uses vivid springtime hues and unique textures to animate the painting. The vibrant varieties in color, texture, and pattern invite viewers not to search for an implied message, but to instead bring their own memories and intuitions into the work. This painting exemplifies the beauty and energy that can exist in a non-representational artwork; the focal point can be fluid, influenced by each viewer.
This painting’s impact extends beyond its visual qualities, inviting the viewer to consider how it appeals to the other senses and modalities—what might this painting sound like, smell like, move like? What sensations does it evoke? These responses are exactly what prompted MOA Executive Assistant Vauna Davis to write this ekphrastic poem:
a wagon of peaches and berries, spilled
a chorus of jubilant women, singing
a sunset over a river, splashed
a garden of zinnias and larkspur, shimmering
This poem samples the expansive possibilities that Abstract in Pink offers. We invite you to come and view it yourself, to see what personal connections you can make. Abstract in Pink, a recent acquisition, is currently on display in From the Vault: Staff Selections from the Permanent Collection.
