Here pockets of tangerine, vermillion, and chartreuse peek through an expanse of atmospheric, earthy tones. The artist often looked to nature, and trees in particular, as a point of inspiration; these unidentifiable forms seem to evoke lights glimmering through branches in a night sky. Works such as this reflect the influence of Lewis’s frequent visits to his gallerist’s home in Locust Valley on Long Island, which provided a bucolic counterpoint to his metropolitan life in Harlem during the 1950s. Long, calligraphic strokes of black paint outline the colorful dapples and reveal his interest in East Asian painting.
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