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Odili Donald Odita paints in hard-edge abstraction. Op Art and Color Field painting, including Frank Stella’s work with grids, may have been a point of departure, but the artist also finds links with the spatial approaches practiced by medieval and Renaissance painters. He describes his use of perspective, however, as less literal and more about spatial layering. Odita gives serious consideration to his titles because he sees them as a way for viewers to engage with his work. Passage refers to the spatial transformation that occurs within this piece. The painting is divided into two halves: on the right are vertical, figure-like rows of stripes that move toward the left, where the space opens up. The use of yellow, peach, and periwinkle evokes a light source, a reflection, or a force. According to Odita, this open or negative space represents a passageway. In this composition the artist raises questions about life and the great unknown that occurs after death.Odili Donald OditaAmerican1966Enugu, Nigeria Passage2010Acrylic on canvas84 × 109University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Robert E. Schweser and Fern Beardsley Schweser Acquisition Fund, through the University of Nebraska FoundationU-5638.2011