“WHAT IF?” by Judy Atlas
City Gallery
994 State St.
Through June 28, 2026
Judy Atlas has a creative process that consists of asking herself an important question: “What if?”
What if the lines were softer? Fewer lines and more shapes? What if there were more colors in that pattern?
That creative process, which the abstract painter described at a City Gallery show of hers in 2022, took center stage at her current City Gallery show, titled “WHAT IF?”, on display through June 28.
When Judy Atlas taught at the Creative Arts Workshop, she walked students through her practice of generating “what ifs” and letting themselves act on these curiosities. What some might have first considered to be an annoying prodding would soon prove to be bountiful, if they let the question in.
I saw evidence of this myself at Atlas’s aptly-titled “WHAT IF?” While the title speaks to her process, many of the pieces are also inspired by “modern architecture and the work of architect Frank Gehry, who passed away this December.”
Gehry was well-known for his use of unconventional materials and sculptural buildings, and perhaps most praised for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, which was constructed with titanium. Atlas had visited his works over the years, even noting the iconic silver sails of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
I was only vaguely familiar with his buildings, and, with my sheepish expression, I couldn’t hide that fact in my conversation with Atlas. She gave me specific instructions: “Look up his name in the New York Times to understand him and his work.” Perhaps it was because Atlas exudes the warmth of a seasoned teacher, that this felt both like encouragement and light homework.
I cocked my head this way and that to further explore Inspiration 1. It is somehow balanced, blocky and still expressive. There is an overall fluidity in the piece because of the sweeping curves that are mostly covered by wide, short, and thin strokes. Orange paint is dulled when layered with dark blue smudges, and brightened during the rare moment that it is the last layer on top. Does it demand to be seen? Is it fighting with the dark blue, as siblings sometimes do? Because otherwise, the two colors are harmonious, as if they, and this painting, are a family unit.
The curation of the exhibit itself is an extension of Atlas’s commitment to embracing her multi-dimensionality as an artist, that I personally took inspiration from. She refused to be beholden to a theme of making twenty five works inspired by architecture, if one painting did not naturally lend itself to another in the making process. Her “what ifs” were given freedoms to birth projects that further explored similar color palettes, patterns, or linework. This Judy (referring to myself) is often fraught with worries that her art isn’t coherent, but Judy Atlas is brave. It is not lost on me that Atlas’s work is “coherent” because she is fiercely loyal to her instincts.
The Circle Game reminded me of all of the complicated feelings toward the shapes I make in my own work, as a novice artist with only two abstract paintings under my belt. Oftentimes I grew attached to a haphazardly-made mark but more quickly became afraid of adding more to it. My fear that was borne out of love made painting difficult. I brought this up to Atlas, and she chuckled, fully understanding the sentiment. I easily projected my own story onto that tiny circle. I wondered if that little orange and yellow circle was trapped by or protected by that fluid arm that held it so close. Was it vulnerable or welcomed in this blue abyss?
Amongst all of the finished pieces, there was also acknowledgement that the pieces hanging on the wall started with dots, some so close to each other they could form a line. Atlas carefully placed a sketchbook and marker in front of a basket of doodles and small paintings, and invited me to draw. The call to action to “start with a dot” is from Atlas’s late mentor, Lora Lee Bell. Just as Atlas did, I also tucked this away safely in my artist toolbox to strengthen my own intuition.
