Extemporaneous

Helen Torr made this highly experimental work while living aboard a sailboat with her husband, painter Arthur Dove (see his work on view nearby). The forms here were probably informed by some part of the boat’s structure. The narrow bands of silvery gray recall shaped metal fit- tings, complete with small circles that are reminiscent of rivets or nails. But the artist deliberately abstracted any recognizable motifs, leaving an exploration of pure form and color.