Since the 1980s, Polly Apfelbaum has been filling galleries, museums, and public spaces with a riot of colors composed into exuberant, keenly intelligent works that are simultaneously paintings, sculptures, and installations. Eschewing what she calls the “big, macho structure” of the canvas, Apfelbaum is best known for her brilliantly hued floor pieces, composed of patches and strips of hand-dyed fabrics (often velvet) arranged into abstract forms that stretch and blossom underfoot. She also works with Plasticine, clay, inkjet prints, and, occasionally, found objects. Inspired by Outsider Art, feminism, everyday life, and the expressive qualities of color, Apfelbaum celebrates the exquisite command of color in Abstract Expressionism, while also rejecting its aggressive masculinity. With playful wit, she upends traditional notions of women’s work, presenting fabric forms shaped by intellectual and artistic rigor, full of an engaging depth and richness.