With George Dunbar: Elements of Chance, NOMA presents the first comprehensive retrospective for this pioneering Louisiana modernist. Born in 1927, Dunbar played a pivotal role in introducing abstract art to the South — and he continues his studio explorations today.

The New Orleans Museum of Art exhibition (November 4, 2016-February 19, 2017) gathers more than 40 works. It traces the evolution of Dunbar’s art from his early paintings of the 1940s and 1950s to his most recent work in clay relief. The exhibit opens to the public November 4.

A New Orleans native, Dunbar studied in Philadelphia and New York before returning to Louisiana in the 1950s to create paintings, sculptures, assemblages, and prints. His work marries the stark geometry of modern art with lush, elemental materials, including clay and gold leaf, which call forth Louisiana’s distinctive local landscape.