Denver Art Museum

Theodore Waddell arrived in New York in the early 1960s, only a short decade after abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and Clyfford Still dominated the art world. Gleaning elements from this art movement, Waddell returned home to his native Montana and created works of nearly abstract backgrounds that suggest the landscape. By painting figures that symbolized cattle in snow-filled backgrounds, the painter walks the line of abstraction and realism. This exhibition of 26 works explores Waddell’s abstract paintings, sketches, and drawings that challenge the common perception that all western American art is created in a realistic style.