Temple of Midnight Red

Name/Title

Temple of Midnight Red

Entry/Object ID

84.49

Artwork Details

Medium

Acrylic on Canvas

Context

Credit Line: Purchased by the Canton Museum of Art in memory of Margretta Bockius Wilson

Made/Created

Artist

Richard Anuszkiewicz

Date made

1983

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Frame Size

Height

96 in

Width

72 in

Dimension Description

Image Size

Height

96 in

Width

72 in

Interpretative Labels

Label

Richard Anuszkiewicz was a prodigy of color theory and one of the leaders of American Optical (Op) Art, which depicts optical illusions. He experimented with an unprecedented range of color contrasts and combined them with the shifting, illusory effects of Op Art. Composed between 1981 and 1984, Anuszkiewicz’s Temple Painting series was inspired by a trip the artist took to Egypt, specifically the Valley of the Kings. While inspired by the geometries of sacred temples, these paintings do not make direct reference to individual structures but use the geometric framework as a space in which to experiment with juxtaposed complimentary colors.