Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Indianapolis-born Felrath Hines became the first African American paintings conservator to hold positions at major art museums. While conserving paintings for MoMA and the National Portrait Gallery, he simultaneously developed his own artistic career. Initially working in the vein of Abstract Expressionism, he later evolved a unique abstract style, characterized by geometric form and harmonic color. Hines often listened to jazz while painting, and this musical form‘s rhythmic quality exerted an influence on his work. Elevation, with its bold, asymmetrical composition, exudes this sense of musicality. In a 1983 statement, Hines remarked, “I prefer painting that gives visual as well as spiritual pleasure and presents a sense of balance and harmony.”