“I am still seeking clarity, a purity, an essence, but have never been willing to sacrifice the ritual, the need for the deep, the rich, the thick, the dark—the wild wake of the brush and the often organic application of materials—and always working consciously to be in control and out …”

—Joan Snyder 

Created in 2020, Joan Snyder's OH Elena was created for the artist's close friend and long-time gallerist Elena Zhang, who passed away in 2020. Here, Snyder commemorates the bright spirit of her friend through the vibrant pink, orange, and purple hues of the present work, and infuses the composition with rose stems, perhaps a nod to Zhang's love of gardening.