Kenneth Noland
Early Life and Education
Kenneth Noland was born on April 10, 1924, in Asheville, North Carolina. His father, Harry Caswell Noland, was a pathologist, and his mother, Bessie, was a homemaker. Noland was the third of five siblings. He attended the Black Mountain College, a liberal arts school in North Carolina, where he studied under Ilya Bolotowsky, a renowned abstract painter.
Career
Noland began his artistic career in the late 1940s. His early work was influenced by the abstract expressionist movement, particularly the works of Helen Frankenthaler. Noland's first solo exhibition was held at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York in 1950.
In the 1950s, Noland began to develop his signature style, which was characterized by the use of simple geometric shapes and bold, unmodulated colors. This style came to be known as color field painting. Noland's color field paintings, such as his famous "Circle" series, are considered some of the most significant works of the post-painterly abstraction movement.
Later Life and Legacy
Noland continued to paint and exhibit his work throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, he began to experiment with new forms and materials, including shaped canvases and collage. Noland died on January 5, 2010, in Port Clyde, Maine, at the age of 85.
Noland's work has had a significant impact on the development of abstract art in the 20th century. His innovative use of color and form has influenced a generation of artists and continues to be studied and admired today.