The mid-twentieth century was a watershed moment in the history of art where artists began to challenge traditional understandings and practices of art-making.
This was done in part through a negation of pictorial space and narrative in favor of an emphasis on artistic process, experimentation, and the development of a universal visual language.
In addition to examples of pure abstraction by Robert Beverly Hale and Mark Rothko, this gallery also includes more figurative abstract paintings and sculptures by Fernand Leger, Richard Miller, and Reg Butler. Prolific artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Joan Miró are represented, showcasing a comprehensive look at modern art of the mid-20th century. The gallery also features Willem de Kooning’s Woman-Ochre, infamously stolen from the UAMA in 1985 and recovered over 30 years later in Cliff, New Mexico.
The majority of the twentieth-century American and European modern art collection at UAMA was donated over the span of twenty years by Edward Gallagher, Jr. A Baltimore native, he had a love for Arizona from his time growing up and vacationing at dude ranches with his family. He established the collection to honor the memory of his son and only child, “little Eddy.”
