Skip to main content

Dorothy Hood Art

American, 1919-2000

Dorothy Hood's oil-on-canvas paintings and works on paper combine Color Field techniques with painterly abstraction. Her use of decalcomania (a technique wherein paint pigments are allowed to flow and dry around an object which is subsequently removed, leaving a ghostly imprint on the canvas) belies her time spent with the Surrealist painters of Mexico City in the 1940s–60s.

The pictorial space and visual fissures of Hood’s large-scale paintings and works on paper recall a profound mindscape that echoes the concerns of these artists, such as José Clemente Orozco, who was her mentor. Having moved back to Houston in 1962, the impact of the Space Age and the fathoms of the cosmos influenced Hood’s paintings further. Her sense of color and deep exploration of materials is unrivaled. During her career, Hood appeared as one of the region's powerhouse female abstract painters, even though being a woman likely hindered the success she was due among her American Abstraction cohort.

Hood established herself as a pioneer of modernism from 1937, first as a scholarship student at the Rhode Island School of Design and briefly at the Art Students League in New York City, before settling in Mexico City in the 1940s. There, she would spend two decades embedded in the rich cultural fabric of a city in the midst of postwar and post-revolutionary bohemia. She befriended leading artists and intellectuals including Pablo Neruda, José Clemente Orozco, Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Mathias Goeritz, Diego Rivera, and Rufino Tamayo.

In 1962 Hood returned to Houston and had solo exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston; Witte Museum, San Antonio; Rice University, Houston; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York; and her work is in the permanent collections of numerous American museums. During her lifetime, Hood’s work, from her formally rigorous yet metaphysical and intimate abstract paintings, to ink drawings on paper and collages, garnered an impressive exhibition history and support from influential critics, curators, and collectors including Philippe de Montebello, Dorothy Miller, Clement Greenberg, and Barbara Rose, among others.

In 2016, the Art Museum of South Texas (AMST), Corpus Christi, organized a major retrospective of Hood's works and published a monograph about her life and career which culminated in the exhibition and book entitled The Color of Being/El Color del Ser: DOROTHY HOOD (1918–2000). In the fall of 2018, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presented an exhibition entitled “Kindred Spirits, Louise Nevelson & Dorothy Hood,” mounting an unprecedented visual dialogue between the works of both artists. In 2019, McClain Gallery began representing the estate of the artist, held by the Art Museum of South Texas, and mounted a solo exhibition, “Dorothy Hood: Illuminated Earth.”

Find original Dorothy Hood art on 1stDibs.

(Biography provided by McClain Gallery)

to
3
3
Untitled II
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Dallas, TX
Dorothy Hood Untitled II, 1982-1997 Collage on Mat 30 x 20 Following a 1981 trip to Egypt, hood collected printed papers which influenced her collage series for approximately a decade.
Category

20th Century Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

A Taste of Moonlight
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Dallas, TX
Dorothy Hood A Taste Of Moonlight, 1982-1997 Collage on Mat 30 x 20 Following a 1981 trip to Egypt, hood collected printed papers which influenced her collage series for approximate...
Category

20th Century Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Untitled
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Dallas, TX
Dorothy Hood Untitled, 1982-1997 Collage on Mat 30 x 20 Following a 1981 trip to Egypt, hood collected printed papers which influenced her collage series for approximately a decade.
Category

20th Century Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Related Items
Portrait of Woman in Yellow
By Raymond Debieve
Located in London, GB
'Portrait of Woman in Yellow', oil on cardstock paper (circa 1970s), by Raymond Debiève. A cubist portrait of this lovely young woman at her window is ...
Category

1970s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Large Scale Modernist Abstract Square and Circle
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful large scale natural toned mixed media abstract comprising a rectangle of antiqued white texturized with gesso'd hemp sacking and set above second ivory rectangle in pale ivory with circle of scumbled grey by British contemporary artist Richard Lawrence...
Category

1980s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Oil

Acrylic Painting of Pastel Dreamy Drips, Mixed Media Subtle Rainbow, Cyanotype
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handmade mixed media cyanotype with hand-painted acrylic paint in pastel tones. Details: Title: Pastel Dreamy Drips Medium: Mixed Media on Watercolor Paper Siz...
Category

2010s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Archival Paper

“Abstract 4”
By Martin Rosenthal
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil paint on heavy archival paper abstract by the American artist, Martin Rosenthal. Bold, vibrant colors. Signed lower right by the artist and dated 1964. Condition is goo...
Category

1960s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

Large Hudson River Figurative Modernist Landscape Oil Painting Edward Avedisian
By Edward Avedisian
Located in Surfside, FL
Edward Avedisian ( 1936-2007 ) Gouache or oil on paper, 3 guys around a car, hand signed in paint lower left, Measures 30"x 22.5" Edward Avedisian (June 15, 1936, Lowell, Massachusetts – August 17, 2007, Philmont, New York) was an American abstract painter who came into prominence during the 1960s. His work was initially associated with Color field painting and in the late 1960s with Lyrical Abstraction and Abstract Expressionism. He studied art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. By the late 1950s he moved to New York City. Between 1958 and 1963 Avedisian had six solo shows in New York. In 1958 he initially showed at the Hansa Gallery, then he had three shows at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery and in 1962 and 1963 at the Robert Elkon Gallery. He continued to show at the Robert Elkon Gallery almost every year until 1975. During the 1960s his work was broadly visible in the contemporary art world. He joined the dynamic art scene in Greenwich Village, frequenting the Cedar Tavern on Tenth Street, associating with the critic Clement Greenberg, and joining a new generation of abstract artists, such as Darby Bannard, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, and Larry Poons. Avedisian was among the leading figures to emerge in the New York art world during the 1960s. An artist who mixed the hot colors of Pop Art with the cool, more analytical qualities of Color Field painting, he was instrumental in the exploration of new abstract methods to examine the primacy of optical experience. One of his paintings was appeared on the cover of Artforum, in 1969, his work was included in the 1965 Op Art The Responsive Eye exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art and in four annuals at the Whitney Museum of American Art. His paintings were widely sought after by collectors and acquired by major museums in New York and elsewhere. He has been exhibited in prominent galleries, such as the Anita Shapolsky Gallery and the Berry Campbell Gallery in New York City. Edward Avedisian was known for his brightly colored, boldly composed canvases that combined Minimalism's rigor, Pop art exuberance and the saturated tones of Color Field painting. Roberta Smith of the NYT writes of Avedesian: "Edward Avedisian helped establish the hotly colored, but emotionally cool, abstract painting that succeeded Abstract Expressionism in the early 1960s. This young luminary harnessed elements of minimalism, pop, and color field painting to create prominent works of epic proportions that energized the New York art scene of the time." In 1996 Avedisian showed his paintings from the 1960s at the Mitchell Algus Gallery, then in SoHo. His last show, dominated by recent landscapes, was in 2003 at the Algus gallery, now in Chelsea. Selected Exhibitions: Op Art: The Responsive Eye, at the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum’s Young America 1965 Expo 67, held in Montreal, Canada. Six Painters (along with Darby Bannard, Dan Christensen, Ron Davis...
Category

20th Century American Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Oil, Gouache, Archival Paper

Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Modern Pastel Monoprint WPA Jewish Artist
By Louis Wolchonok
Located in Surfside, FL
Louis Wolchonok was a social realist painter and member of the Woodstock Art Association. His work was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Academy of Design...
Category

20th Century Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

“Abstract #6”
By Martin Rosenthal
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil paint on heavy archival paper abstract by the American artist, Martin Rosenthal. Bold, vibrant colors. Signed lower right by the artist and dated 1965. Condition is ver...
Category

1960s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

Untitled II (Abstract Cityscape Painting of Skyline & Water Tower in Red & Blue)
By Ricardo Mulero
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstracted cityscape painting on paper in blue and red oil wash of industrial beams and water towers in New York City "Untitled II," painted by Ricardo Mulero in 2018 7.5 x 5 inches, oil wash on paper 16.5 x 13.5 inches in a soft white wood frame with an 8-ply window mat and non-glare glass Excellent condition, ready to hang as is Ricardo Mulero is fascinated with capturing the brilliance of light and the contrast of natural beauty with utilitarian landscapes. Here, Mulero focuses on an abstracted New York cityscape of rooftop water towers and he fragments the industrial urban landscape to highlight bold shapes with contrasting color palettes in blue, black, and red. The piece is in excellent condition and ready to hang. About the Artist: Growing up in Puerto Rico, I observed how people and nature could co-exist in harmony. Today, that principle guides my design and artistic work. My paintings are expressions that draw upon my life experiences, traditions, and surroundings. These unique environments inspire my oil paintings: Puerto Rico, where I grew up, New York City, Fire Island Pines...
Category

2010s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

Pastel Tones, Moss Green, Yellow, Purple, Simple Round Shapes Transparencies
By Ryan Rivadeneyra
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Simple Tilted Landscape Icon" is a hand-painted acrylic painting on high-quality 300g paper by artist Ryan Rivadeneyra. These painting, influenced by modernist artists of the 50's,...
Category

2010s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Archival Paper, Watercolor, Acrylic, Oil, Sumi Ink, Ink

“Abstract #1”
By Martin Rosenthal
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil paint on heavy archival paper abstract by the American artist, Martin Rosenthal. Bold, vibrant colors. Signed lower right by the artist and dated 1967. Condition is ver...
Category

1960s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

Still Life of Fruit on Table Style of Paul Cézanne
Located in Soquel, CA
Modern Cézanne style still life with collage by Dorothy Jane (Milne) Eggen (American, 1907-1986) Her still life is a Homage to Paul Cézanne's - Still Life with Jug and Fruit, 1890, P...
Category

1960s American Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Illustration Board, Newsprint

George Washington with Letters
By Richard Huntington
Located in Buffalo, NY
You are viewing a mixed media painting and collage on paper by American artist Richard Huntington. This piece is titled "George Washington with Letters" and is signed lower r...
Category

1970s Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Mixed Media

Previously Available Items
Surrealistic Modern Abstract Black and White Organic Ink Drawing
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract drawing by early female Texas artist Dorothy Hood. The work features a central, nest-like shape with organic forms throughout. Signed in the front lower right corner....
Category

1960s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Ink, Paper

Arizona
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Dallas, TX
Dorothy Hood Arizona, 1982-1997 Collage on Mat 30 x 20 Following a 1981 trip to Egypt, hood collected printed papers which influenced her collage series for approximately a decade.
Category

20th Century Modern Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Oil, Paper

Maroon, Blue, and White Toned Abstract Geometric Mixed Media Painting
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
Dorothy Hood mixed media abstract surrealist painting with hues of reds and blues. This work features various shapes in different colors, patterns, and sizes that make up what appear...
Category

20th Century Abstract Geometric Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Untitled, " Oil on Canvas - Abstract Surrealism
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
Reminiscent of color-field abstraction, Hood’s work resolutely avoids the distinction between figure and background. Instead, figure and ground are blended into a single harmonious c...
Category

1990s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Crossing the Great Water 1, " Oil on Canvas - Abstract Surrealism
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
Large, yet reserved, this work employs vast fields of color to instill a feeling of distance, while the sharp treatment of line at the top serves to impress a sense of weight. Quietl...
Category

1970s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Crossing the Great Water 2, " Oil on Canvas - Abstract Surrealism
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
This striking artwork by Dorothy Hood exhibits her unique style in a manner that is both sublime and beautiful. Hood’s mastery of abstraction is demonstrated here in such a way as to...
Category

1970s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Untitled, " Oil on Canvas - Abstract Surrealism
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
Although smaller in scale than most of Hood’s paintings, this work’s size does not diminish its capacity to evoke a mystical and sublime sensibility. This work is evidence of Hood’s ...
Category

1980s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Going Forth, " Oil on Canvas - Abstract Surrealism
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
Although smaller in scale than most of Hood’s paintings, this work’s size does not diminish its capacity to evoke a mystical and sublime sensibility. This work is evidence of Hood’s ...
Category

1970s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Untitled, " Ink on Paper - Abstract Surrealism
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
This one-of-a-kind ink on paper drawing serves as testament to Hood’s abstract prowess across a multitude of media. Her signature style still shines through here, achieving an impres...
Category

1960s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

Monumental Untitled Blue and White Abstract
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
This abstract piece by Dorothy Hood is monumental and extremely unique. It is so large that it was designed to be folded in half for transportation. It will need to be restored on site because of this design. DOROTHY HOOD (1918–2000) Born in Bryan, Texas, Dorothy Hood studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and Art Students League in New York. She then went to Mexico to further develop her skills and stayed for an extended length of time, traveling extensively through Central and South America. When she returned to Texas, she settled in Houston and was a prominent instructor at the Museum School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Selected Biographical and Career Highlights 1918 Born in Bryan, Texas 1937–40 Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island 1940 Art Students League, New York, New York 1941–61 Lived in Mexico City and Puebla, Mexico 1962–76 Instructor, Museum School (now Glassell School), Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas 1983 Mayor’s Award, Outstanding Contribution to the Visual Arts, Houston, Texas 1984 Texas Artist of the Year, Art League of Houston, Texas 1988 Outstanding Achievement in Visual Arts, Women’s National Caucus for Art 1990 Honorary Doctorate, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island 2000 Died...
Category

1970s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Acrylic

Untitled- Red and Blue Abstract Painting
By Dorothy Hood
Located in Houston, TX
Very early Dorothy Hood Painting with bold reds, blues, and purples. One of her first in this series that became coveted. Was given by the artist...
Category

1950s Abstract Dorothy Hood Art

Materials

Acrylic

Dorothy Hood art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Dorothy Hood art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Dorothy Hood in ink, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1960s and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Dorothy Hood art, so small editions measuring 25 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Henry Bayley Snell, Cody S. Brothers, and Mark Bowers.

Artists Similar to Dorothy Hood

Recently Viewed

View All