Though grounded in the visible world, Trees and Rocks registers the impact of abstract expressionism, placing value on sensation, the importance of the entire pictorial field, and the intensity of the encounter between the viewer and the painting. Shades of orange pulse against blue and green, competing for dominance, shifting backward and forward in space, creating depth without overwhelming the brightness of the piece with shadow.
Fromboluti was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania, one month after his parents immigrated from Italy. The family soon moved to South Philadelphia, where Fromboluti was encouraged by his father and teachers to draw as a way to compensate for the challenge of learning to speak English. In 1938 he entered Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture, where he met Doris Staffel and her roommates, Lillian Lent and Nora Speyer. Fromboluti and Speyer married in 1943 and moved to New York, where they remained and shared a studio throughout their careers.
