After beginning his career as a figurative painter, in 1946 Lewis announced that he wanted to break away from what he called “stagnation in too much tradition.” The art and writings of the Russian painter Vasily Kandinsky (1866–1944), one of the first modern artists to create abstract paintings, were one inspiration. Like his New York peers of this period, Lewis was deeply interested in music, which influenced the painting of Phantasy II. Lewis’s boldly colored lines and forms are akin to the improvisational structures of jazz.
Gallery label from "Collection 1940s—1970s", 2019
