During the emergence of postwar American abstraction, Robert Goodnough (1970-2010) cultivated an evolving painting practice maintaining a degree of independence from the dominant styles and expectations of the movement. Born in Cortland, New York, in 1917, he studied at the Amédée Ozenfant School of Fine Arts, the Hans Hofmann School, and the New School for Social Research, later earning an M.A. in Art Education from New York University in 1950. His early exposure to abstraction came through his studies with Hofmann, following an initial engagement with a more representational style. Working in New York during the rise of Abstract Expressionism, Goodnough was closely connected to many of its central figures, including Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko, whom he encountered through The Club. While he moved within this circle, his work resisted easy categorization, combining loose, expressive brushwork with more controlled compositional structures. His paintings are often distinguished by energetic, calligraphic strokes of color set against more structured underlying forms. Over time, his work shifted in both structure and emphasis, moving from early, open compositions to more architectonic arrangements, and later returning to a greater emphasis on line and movement. Influences ranging from Piet Mondrian and Henri Matisse to Color Field painting informed different phases of his practice, which consistently navigated between structure and spontaneity. Throughout these developments, Goodnough described his process as a balance between freedom and discipline, embracing both expressive gesture and careful control. Goodnough held teaching positions taught at several institutions, including Syracuse University and Cornell University. His work has been widely exhibited, with solo presentations at institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. Over the course of his career, he produced a body of work that reflects both the energy of Abstract Expressionism and a sustained interest in structure, process, and change.

Works

Light Development
Light Development
1971

Public Collections

Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore
Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham
Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington
Cayuga Museum of History and Art, Auburn
Lowe Art Museum, Miami
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Newark Museum of Art, Newark
New York University Art Collection, New York
Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Providence
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
Speed Art Museum, Louisville
Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York