| The work of Kenneth Noland is characterized by | | | | in turn affect the overall composition. Colors can also |
| carefully planned geometric patterns and color | | | | be used in conjunction with each other like major and |
| dynamics. Noland's greatest desire was to find | | | | minor chords and repeated in varying ways to create |
| equilibrium between structure and color. This aim was | | | | visual counterpoint. The musical analogies include |
| alien to the complex, neurotic psychological issues of | | | | harmony, dissonance, tone and dynamics. |
| many other forms of modern art such as Surrealism. | | | | Noland's outstanding painting entitled Song (1958) is |
| Kenneth Noland's paintings often featured a single | | | | the most obvious example of his attempt to |
| central focus that contrasts with the complexity of | | | | translate musical sounds into color harmonies. The |
| compositions in the pre-modern period. Noland pushed | | | | central pink circle, surrounded by a ring of red, then a |
| the limits of traditional formatting even further in | | | | concentric band of black, then red again, then deep |
| other works by combining a large scale with unusually | | | | blue and then a final band of gray with a hazy, |
| shaped canvases. Some works were formatted | | | | irregular edge, is like a single brass note vibrating |
| symmetrically with shapes such as diamonds and | | | | outwardly until the sound begins to disintegrate and |
| others were irregularly shaped. | | | | fade. |
| The work of Kenneth Noland utilizes an approach to | | | | The horn is blaring and the message is carried |
| composition that shares the Fauvist energetic | | | | forward clearly: life, pleasure and color are to be |
| celebration of life and color. For Noland, color | | | | acclaimed boldly and without apology. In Noland's |
| placement is akin to musical composition. Noland | | | | Song, color has found a voice and the internal |
| believes that each color possesses a pitch that | | | | harmonies are exquisitely tight and strong. |
| resonates and affects other, adjacent colors, which | | | | |