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Untitled (Abstraction)

William Ivey

King County District Court - Issaquah Courthouse

A large-scale painting by a celebrated Abstract Expressionist uplifts a courthouse.

William Ivey. Untitled (Abstraction), 1982. Oil on linen. King County District Court, Issaquah, WA. King County Public Art Collection. Photo: joefreemanjunior.com

William Ivey’s paintings may suggest expansive landscapes or mysterious interiors, but they are true abstractions—more about the painted surface, rich color and virtuoso brushwork than recognizable subjects or narratives.

Throughout his career, Ivey refused to title his paintings, preferring to maintain the ambiguities within the large canvases. “My paintings have always been related to the qualities of objects,” he told art critic Doloris Tarzan Ament. “But I’m not always aware what those objects are. In the process of painting, I become aware of associations, but they shift all the time.”

The blue color in Untitled (Abstraction) is often associated with Ivey’s work. As an Abstract Expressionist, he explored the color’s infinite possibilities and unique properties, using it to suggest sky or space, but also purely for its powerful and peaceful feeling.


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William Ivey. Untitled (Abstraction), 1982. Oil on linen. King County District Court, Issaquah, WA. King County Public Art Collection. Photo: joefreemanjunior.com