Honolulu WC from the collection of LBCC Art Gallery

Honolulu WC, 1987

Watercolor on Paper

7 x 7.5 in (17.78 x 19.05 cm)

Honolulu WC stands out with its muted palette—soft greys, deep blacks, pale yellows, and grids of sky blue. At first glance, loose organic swaths of charcoal and slate suggest an infinite cosmic field, flecked with galaxy-like circles and whispering lines of distant light. Cutting across that void is a crisp, sky-blue grid: a geometric fence or barricade that feels both protective and confining. The tension between the free-floating, space-evoking background and the orderly foreground grid creates a quiet push-and-pull, inviting you to wonder whether you’re gazing out or held in.

This work is part of a series Billy Al Bengston produced consistently over time during his stays in Honolulu. While rooted in his signature interest in form and material, these Honolulu-based works became increasingly abstract—reflecting his impressions of the city’s layered visual culture and natural landscape. The series is also notable for its intimate scale, often rendered in small, square formats that emphasize introspection over spectacle.

Description written by Jin Mo, 2025

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