Black Evolving Forms is one of Macdonald’s most successful early non-objective paintings in oil. The composition is strong, with an irregular black circular motif suggestive of bird forms heightened by an orange ground, but its apparent simplicity is deceptive.

It was included in the first Painters Eleven exhibition in 1954. Macdonald had enormous faith that this group would introduce contemporary abstract art to the Canadian public outside Quebec—and it did.