1960, Bob Thompson, Allegory -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
From the museum label: Using the strong influence of jazz, Thompson reacted to abstraction with highly metaphorical figurative scenes that reflect his devotion to the history of painting. In his work, he engages with universal themes such as fraternity, desire, struggle, and justice. The expressive color and agitated composition of Allegory intensify the theatrical appearance of a group of mysterious figures, male and female, cast against an indeterminate space. At the same time, this fantastical vignette also underscores the artist's interest in exploring human relationships in contemporary society, and the complex set of social, racial, and sexual forces that shape them.
1960, Bob Thompson, Allegory -- Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
From the museum label: Using the strong influence of jazz, Thompson reacted to abstraction with highly metaphorical figurative scenes that reflect his devotion to the history of painting. In his work, he engages with universal themes such as fraternity, desire, struggle, and justice. The expressive color and agitated composition of Allegory intensify the theatrical appearance of a group of mysterious figures, male and female, cast against an indeterminate space. At the same time, this fantastical vignette also underscores the artist's interest in exploring human relationships in contemporary society, and the complex set of social, racial, and sexual forces that shape them.