The artwork titled “Blue and Orange,” created by Ellsworth Kelly in 1965, is an exemplar of the Hard Edge Painting movement and resides within the abstract genre.
The artwork features two large, distinctly colored shapes that occupy a central position on a neutral background. To the left, there is a bold blue form, half resembling a semi-circle, while on the right, a vibrant orange shape mirrors the blue one, yet it presents its curvature facing the opposite direction. These broad, flat fields of color are executed with precision, exhibiting Kelly’s signature style of clear, unmodulated colors and crisp, geometric forms. The interplay between the blue and orange hues creates a striking visual contrast, embodying the principles of abstraction and simplicity that define Hard Edge Painting. The austere composition challenges the viewer to contemplate the relationship between shape and color without the distraction of representational elements.
