Phillis Ideal reviews the recent exhibition Ronald Bladen: New York Paintings, 1955-1962 at Loretta Howard Gallery, New York.

"Bladen never loses sight of this basic intuition that reflects the history of the exploration in art. This is sophisticated work that transcends formal concerns. It has the connectedness of a child making a sand castle, intuitively knowing how large to make the rooms, then deciding to change the scale, flattening the wall and adding sand of a different shade so that all is left of the boundaries is a shift in color. He repeatedly simplifies the shape but keeps the emotional complexity that gives the viewer a point of entrance into the spirit of the work."