Alexander Gray Associates in New York is currently presenting “Reverberation,” an exhibition featuring rarely seen paintings and works on paper by Betty Parsons from the 1960s. This marks the gallery’s fourth exhibition dedicated to the artist, who lived from 1900 to 1982. The show highlights Parsons’s contemplative and intuitive approach to abstraction, emphasizing her focus on spontaneity and gesture through organic forms.
Parsons’s journey as an artist began after attending the 1913 Armory Show in New York, which inspired her to pursue art. Initially studying figurative sculpture before moving to watercolor, she founded the Betty Parsons Gallery in 1946 and fully embraced abstraction the following year. Her artistic philosophy shifted from depicting how subjects looked to capturing the feelings they evoked.
The 1960s marked a pivotal period in Parsons’s career, catalyzed by the completion of her light-filled studio in Southold, NY. This decade saw her create compositions characterized by bold graphic forms, saturated colors, and fluid contours. “Without Greed” (1960) exemplifies this style, featuring curvilinear shapes in distinctive colors that appear to float or emerge from a monochromatic background.
Parsons’s seaside studio, designed by architect and artist Tony Smith, served as both a weekend retreat and a creative sanctuary. The maritime environment significantly influenced her work, as evident in paintings like “Kites” (1962) and “Sand with Shapes” (1964). These pieces feature biomorphic shapes that suggest both coastal landscapes and psychological terrains.
The artist’s exploration of color’s emotional impact is apparent in works such as “Lavender” (1965) and “Amber” (1969), whose titles reflect their vivid hues. During this period, Parsons increasingly employed a brighter palette while continuing to explore deeper, unseen forces that connected her to what she termed “the new spirit.”
Parsons aimed to represent what she called “the invisible presence,” a metaphysical concept reflecting her belief in art’s ability to tap into the “sheer energy” connecting all things. The exhibition’s titular piece, “Reverberation” (1968), with its vibrant orange and cerulean composition, illustrates this semi-divine undertaking.
Throughout her career, Parsons’s work was widely exhibited across the United States and internationally. A notable survey of her work was held at the Whitechapel Gallery in London in 1968, curated by Lawrence Alloway. In an interview with Alloway, Parsons described her instinctive creative process, emphasizing her aim to become a “blank” and allow emotions to guide her choice of forms and colors.
Betty Parsons’s artistic legacy continues to be celebrated, with her work featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions and represented in prestigious collections worldwide. The current exhibition, “Reverberation,” runs from February 14 to March 15, 2025, at Alexander Gray Associates in New York, offering visitors a rare glimpse into a transformative period of this influential artist’s career.
