Douglas Dean Ohlson (November 18, 1936 – June 29, 2010) was an American abstract artist who specialized in geometric patterns. Ohlson was born on November 18, 1936, in

Cherokee, Iowa Cherokee is a city in Cherokee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,199 at the 2020 Census, down from 5,369 in 2000. It is the county seat of Cherokee County. History Cherokee was laid out as a town in 1870, and was named for the ...

and attended Bethel College before serving in the

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. After completing his military service, he attended the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

, where he was awarded a degree in studio art in 1961. He moved to

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, where he studied at Hunter College under abstract sculptor Tony Smith, but dropped out when he could no longer afford tuition. He worked as an assistant to Smith and started teaching at Hunter College in 1964.Smith, Roberta
"Doug Ohlson, Painter of Vivid Abstracts, Dies at 73"
''

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'', July 23, 2010. Accessed September 15, 2010. Ohlson's early work was included in an exhibit organized by art historian E. C. Goossen at the

Hudson River Museum The Hudson River Museum, located in Trevor Park in Yonkers, New York, is the largest museum in Westchester County. The Yonkers Museum, founded in 1919 at City Hall, became the Hudson River Museum in 1948. While often considered an art museum by th ...

titled "8 Young Artists" in 1964, and had a solo show that year at the Fischbach Gallery, the first of seven at that location. Goossen also included work by Ohlson in the 1968 exhibition "The Art of the Real: 1948-1968" at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

which focused on the development and history of geometric art in the United States. Sharply defined and repeated geometric shapes were characteristic of his earliest painting, that were described by Goossen as depicting "yellowish pink and green dawns, blue noons, and red-orange sunsets that swiftly slide from purple to black", hypothesizing that Ohlson's experience growing up and working long days on the family's farm gave him a unique passion for color. Ohlson was recognized with a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1968.Doug Ohlson , Bio
, DougOlson.com. Accessed July 25, 2010. His works in the 1970s and 1980s, often featured at Susan Caldwell Inc., had characteristically rougher backgrounds. His later work was displayed in numerous solo exhibitions at the Andre Zarre Gallery, in addition to surveys of his work at

Bennington College Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932 as a women's college, it became co-educational in 1969. It claims to be the first college to include visual and performing arts as an equal partner in ...

and at Hunter College, where he taught for 35 years. His works are included in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the

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and the

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...

. Ohlson died at age 73 on June 29, 2010, after a fall in front of his Manhattan apartment. He was survived by his second wife, Michele Toohey. He was divorced from his first wife, painter

Jane Kaufman Jane Kaufman was an American artist who was affiliated with the Pattern and Decoration movement. She was also a member of the art group Guerrilla Girls. Early life and education Jane Kaufman was born in New York City to Herbert Kaufman, an adv ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohlson, Doug 1936 births 2010 deaths American abstract artists Bethel University (Minnesota) alumni Hunter College alumni United States Marines University of Minnesota alumni People from Cherokee, Iowa