Untitled: Stairwell mural, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas

Abney uses spray paint to create large-scale murals in bright colors and shapes that reflect the tempo of modern life. She incorporates many simple symbols that are familiar to everyone, such as hearts, hands, and eyes, to evoke a personal response in each viewer. For “Untitled,” Abney responded directly to the specific site, creating a totally new composition for Crystal Bridges. The work is located in the stairwell between the Contemporary Art Gallery and the museum’s Eleven restaurant, and is on view through Spring of 2019.

Abney is a figurative painter who creates artworks that deal with issues of contemporary urban life. Her work is influenced by many aspects of popular culture, including the news, animated cartoons, video games, hip-hop culture, celebrity websites, and tabloid magazines. Abney’s works do not shy away from asking us to contemplate and deal with difficult subjects, and the paintings and murals are full of symbols, figures, and words that viewers are meant to decode. This collection of symbols form a visual language that shows Abney’s knowledge and understanding of art-historical references, in addition to popular culture.