The Flux

1955

American, 1931- 2000

Frank Okada was a leading exponent of abstract painting in the Northwest during the second half of the twentieth century, first making gestural, allover compositions such as this while a student at the Cranbrook Academy in Michigan, and two years later, spending more than a year living among New York School artists where he found further inspiration and camaraderie. Through the subsequent years, Okada's work became more and more expansive, eventually arriving at pure distillations of color and gesture.

Oil on board

24 3/4 x 43 1/4 in. (62.9 x 109.9 cm)

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

55.200

Photo: Paul Macapia

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Henry Art Gallery, "What It Meant to Be Modern: Seattle Art at Mid-Century", October 15, 1999 - January 23, 2000

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Annual Exhibition of Northwest Artists, 41st Annual", 1955. (1955)

Valparaiso, Indiana, Sloan Galleries, "Art of Northwest Coast", 1962. (1962 - 1962)

La Conner, Washington, Museum of Northwest Art "Frank Okada: The Shape of Elegance" October 8, 2005 - January 8, 2006

Published ReferencesHenry Art Gallery "Younger Washington Artists" Seattle: Henry Art Gallery, 1963

Conkleton, Sheryl et al. "What it Meant to Be Modern: Seattle Art at Mid-Century." Seattle, WA: Henry Art Gallery, 2000, illus. p. 30 (b&w)

Nakane, Kazuko "Frank Okada: The Shape of elegance" La Conner, WA: Museum of Northwest Art in association with Univeristy of Washington Press, Seattle and London, 2005. Exh. cat. of an exhibition held at the Museum of Northwest Art, Oct. 8, 2005 - Jan. 8, 2006. pp. 16

Sloan Galleries, Valparaiso, Indiana, "Art of Northwest Coast", catalog, #17, 1962.

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