Exhibitions

Hitting the Boiling Point: Works from 1942 to 1962 offers an in-depth exploration of Lucia Wilcox’s artistic development over two critical decades. Featuring key works that chart her evolution from surrealist-inspired landscapes to the bold, gestural abstractions of her later career, this exhibition captures the creative force that defined Wilcox's unique contribution to mid-20th century American art. Each of the pieces selected for this show provides insight into the intensity, emotion, and technical mastery that Wilcox brought to her practice, as well as the wider artistic movements she engaged with throughout her career.

Early Surrealist Influences: Dreamscapes and Metaphor
The exhibition opens with works from the early 1940s, which reveal Wilcox’s engagement with surrealism and her deep fascination with nature as a metaphor for the human experience. A standout piece from this period is Untitled (1945), a vibrant landscape where the trees, foliage, and sky seem to merge with fantastical creatures and human forms. The painting depicts a long green pathway leading into an ethereal horizon, flanked by anthropomorphic trees and dreamlike figures. This work demonstrates Wilcox’s early experiments with surrealist elements, where the boundaries between human, animal, and landscape are blurred.

The dreamlike quality of this early work aligns Wilcox with the European surrealist movement, which found a temporary home in America during the 1940s due to the displacement of artists caused by World War II. The recurring motifs of trees, pathways, and birds in her surrealist works serve as both literal and metaphorical elements—depicting the natural world while symbolizing psychological or spiritual journeys. The vibrant colors in these early works—rich blues, greens, and purples—contribute to the otherworldly atmosphere, inviting viewers into Wilcox’s uniquely imagined landscapes.

Emotional Abstraction: The 1950s
By the early 1950s, Wilcox began to transition from surrealist dreamscapes to a more abstract visual language, incorporating the emotional intensity of the abstract expressionist movement. This shift is most evident in works like Untitled (1959), where her use of bold, sweeping brushstrokes dominates the composition. In this particular work, her palette shifts to monochromatic blacks, whites, and grays, which reflect a deep engagement with light, form, and movement. The painting is characterized by thick arcs of white paint set against a dark background, a technique that evokes the dynamic tension between control and spontaneity.

Wilcox’s brushwork in these later paintings speaks to the physicality of her process. The large, gestural strokes suggest a performative element in her painting, where the act of creation becomes as significant as the final image. The textured surface of these works, achieved through the layering of thick paint, gives them a sculptural quality that extends beyond the two-dimensional plane of the canvas. These pieces align with the abstract expressionist movement’s focus on the artist’s emotional state and their immediate, raw interaction with the materials.

The 1960s: Bold Gestures and Monochrome Intensity
The works from the early 1960s, such as Untitled (1961), represent the culmination of Wilcox’s transition into full abstraction. In these pieces, her earlier surrealist sensibilities give way entirely to an exploration of form, movement, and texture. The painting features large, sweeping arcs of white that slash across a dark, monochromatic background. The tension between the whites and blacks creates a dramatic interplay between light and darkness, reinforcing the emotional intensity that defines this period of her work.

Wilcox’s 1960s paintings are deeply connected to the ethos of abstract expressionism. The physicality of her brushstrokes and the emphasis on spontaneity link her to the action painting of Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline, although Wilcox’s work remains deeply personal and introspective. The use of monochromatic colors in these works strips away the distraction of color, allowing the viewer to focus entirely on the gesture and texture of the paint. In works such as these, Wilcox achieves a balance between chaos and control, where bold, aggressive strokes contrast with more restrained, meditative areas of the canvas.

Thematic Continuities: Nature, Emotion, and Spirituality
Despite the evolution of her style, certain themes persist throughout Wilcox’s oeuvre, linking her surrealist landscapes of the 1940s with her abstract works of the 1960s. One of the most enduring themes is her engagement with nature, not as a literal subject but as a metaphor for deeper emotional or psychological states. In her earlier works, nature is depicted through trees, birds, and paths, symbolizing growth, transformation, and spiritual journey. As her work becomes more abstract, this connection to nature remains, albeit more subtly—expressed through organic shapes, fluid gestures, and the dynamic interplay between light and shadow.

Wilcox’s deep emotional engagement with her work also transcends the stylistic shifts seen across these decades. Whether through the symbolic figures in her early landscapes or the raw energy of her later abstractions, her work consistently explores the emotional and psychological depths of the human experience. The intense gestural marks of her later works, for example, can be interpreted as expressions of inner turmoil or conflict, while the sweeping arcs suggest moments of release or transcendence.

Conclusion: Lucia Wilcox's Artistic Legacy
Hitting the Boiling Point: Works from 1942 to 1962 highlights the breadth and depth of Lucia Wilcox’s artistic journey during two pivotal decades. From her early surrealist landscapes to her emotionally charged abstract paintings, the exhibition charts the evolution of an artist who was deeply engaged with the most important artistic movements of the 20th century. Throughout her career, Wilcox remained committed to exploring the complexities of the human experience through form, color, and gesture.

The works included in this exhibition not only illustrate Wilcox’s mastery of various styles but also reflect her unique voice within the abstract expressionist movement. Her use of bold brushstrokes, intense contrasts, and textured surfaces created a powerful body of work that continues to resonate with contemporary audiences. This exhibition invites viewers to witness the full range of Wilcox’s emotional and technical capabilities, positioning her as a vital figure in the story of mid-century American art.

Exhibitions

LUCIA WILCOX

January Group Show

Abstract Monochrome Figures

Demarcation

The Bridge

Joel Perlman

2 Women Walk into a Gallery

Hayley Youngs

Group Show

Rudolph Serra

Mercedes Matter

Clintel Steed

Maureen Dougherty

Michi Itami

Arlene Slavin

INSTA-SELECT V. 2

JOHN GASPER

A Christmas Carol To TONY WALTON

To Be An Artist Is To Embrace The World In One Kiss

Catherine Lepp

POLLOCK - OROZCO

Jonathan Harkham

John Little

Benjamin King

Susan Carr

Gregory Coates: Reconstructed

Clintel Steed: Behind the Hood

The Silence Perpetuates

Compendium Part III

Chakaia Booker: Art Miami 2019

Compression

Natalie Edgar: Paintings From the Last Decade

Wang Yigang: Recent works

Voyage

There is Always the Unexpected

Summerland

Compendium

Lyrics & Form

Michael West: The Black and White Paintings

InstaSelect

MOVING TARGETS: AMERICAN ART FROM 1918-2012

MERCEDES MATTER: A Survey: Paintings & Drawings from 1929 to 1998