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Course: Modernisms 1900-1980 > Unit 9
Lesson 4: Postwar abstract art“Trane” by William T. Williams
“Trane” by William T. Williams is a monumental abstract acrylic on canvas created in 1969. It exemplifies Williams’s groundbreaking approach to color, form and subject. The forms repeat and multiply and the lines, shapes and vibrant colors create a visual rhythm similar to a jazz composition. A work of art that bridges the personal and political, “Trane” exemplifies Williams’s storied career and his role in radically reshaping the field of abstraction. Watch Thelma Golden, Museum Director and Chief Curator at The Studio Museum in Harlem, explores what makes “Trane” a masterpiece. Video by Bank of America. Created by Smarthistory.