Ida Kohlmeyer is known for Abstract Expressionist paintings of colorful glyphs arranged in grids. Influenced by Hans Hofmann, Joan Miró, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford Still, she shifted from figuration to abstraction in the 1950s.
Her work evolved from the structured “Clusters” series to the freer “Synthesis” paintings, later becoming flatter, brighter, and more pattern-based, aligning with the Pattern and Decoration movement. She also created bold, colorful sculptures that extended her symbolic forms into three dimensions.
Ida Kohlmeyer (1912–1997) was a painter and sculptor from New Orleans. She began making art as an adult, earned her MFA from Newcomb College, and taught at local universities.
Her work gained national recognition through major exhibitions, and she remained a key figure in Southern contemporary art throughout her life.
