Collection Highlight: Denyse Thomasos’ "Lollipop Nation," 2009

Denyse Thomasos (Canada (born Trinidad and Tobago), 1964–2012), Lollipop Nation, 2009, oil on canvas, 40 x 54 inches. Gift of Richard Shebairo and Kathleen Monaghan, 2019.3.2 Image courtesy Luc Demers © The Estate of Denyse Thomasos

With brightly colored, multilayered architectural forms, Denyse Thomasos constructs a universe of intersecting lines and colors propelled by dynamic energy. As critic John Yau described, “It’s as if everything is threatening to bust loose, and the painting itself can barely contain the accumulating forces.” Born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1964, Thomasos had a successful career in Canada and the United States. She received numerous awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1997.  In her paintings, Thomasos explores sociopolitical topics and historical events, such as the transatlantic slave trade and super-max prisons. This work’s title, Lollipop Nation, is as multilayered as the canvas, with references to candy, sugar, consumerism, and leisure. With its bright colors, intersecting planes, and dramatic angles, the painting is simultaneously visually appealing and spatially unsettling.