In the 1960s, the Russian-born artist Jules Olitski jumped onto the Color Field bandwagon, creating his “Core” paintings. He swathed canvases in thick monochrome colors, painting shapes in saturated hues. With a goofy wobble, these shapes reject the angular, meanwhile dominating their surroundings, subverting perceptions of composition and space. When the Color Field movement was eclipsed by Pop art and Minimalism, Olitski moved on to his widely acclaimed “Spray” series. This retrospective pay homage to the “Core” works. Often overlooked, they were formative in Olitski’s career, a grounding for the practice that brought him international recognition later on. —E.C.