Untitled, 1935–1936

This painting dates from the period in which Ray lived in New York and studied at the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts. The arrangement of forms of different shapes, sizes, and colors evokes a still life, but it is difficult to identify any resemblance between what is pictured and things in the world. Hofmann taught his students that nature is the source of all inspiration, and his classes emphasized working from a model. However, having the student make an imitation of the visual experience was not the goal. He did not consider abstract and representational art to be at odds. In his classroom, the methods for achieving both were the same.