Oscar Cahén had been experimenting with abstraction since at least 1949, but it was not until 1952 that he entered a completely abstract work, Ascend, into an Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) show. This was also the first of his exhibited pieces to adopt a verb for a title, inviting (or commanding) the viewer to engage with the painting as an experience rather than a thing. Ascend, coming on the heels of Cahén’s exploration of Christian themes and just as he was entering a period of intense creative activity, conveys a powerful sense of rebirth. Contrasts of dark and light and illusions of transparency give an atmospheric impression of sunlight penetrating a gloomy place.