Hedy O’Beil: The Late Work

Hedy O’Beil (b. 1928) is a lifelong New York City native and dedicated painter. Her commitment to gestural abstraction demonstrates a passion for combining color to create rhythmic compositions. Rich pinks, blues, and yellows are among O’Beil’s signature color palette. Her work is a study of the tension between control and experimentation and has been compared to improvised jazz compositions. She has also explored the possibilities of working within a monochromatic color scheme of simple black ink: “With black ink and a wide brush, I feel I can conquer my demons, hold them at bay and make the sun come out when it’s cloudy.”

The Late Work features a selection of paintings completed in O’Beil’s 70s to mid-80s. These pieces show a mature development of the gestural abstraction she embraced in the 1960s. This work is inspired by noted action painter Willem de Kooning and references ancient Chinese calligraphers’ use of bold sweeping brushstrokes.

O’Beil has an extensive exhibition record, and she was the recipient of two prestigious Pollock-Krasner Foundation grants (2009, 2014). In addition to painting, O’Beil has been an active contributor to the New York City area art scene, giving lectures, art tours, and writing reviews for several publications.