Although he is best known as a sculptor, David Smith produced a significant number of paintings and drawings throughout his career. Like his sculptures, these two- dimensional works reveal his interest in exploring the interplay of positive and negative space and of strong color and geometric form.

"Ovals on Stilts" belongs to a small group of paintings that Smith produced by laying cutout forms in metal, paper, or cardboard on canvas and spraying over them with different colors of paint. Here, the image produced by the negative, or white space, assumes a monumental, almost sculptural presence. This blocky form, seemingly supported on stilt-like legs, appears to float against the dark ground. The paint- splattered and variegated ground reveals the influence of Abstract Expressionism, and recalls the lively painted surfaces of sculptures by Smith such as "Zig V" (1961; on view in this gallery).