Pat Steir
White and White, 2018
Oil on canvas
60 x 60 inches (152.4 x 152.4 cm
© Pat Steir Photo by Tom Powel Imaging, Inc.
Pat Steir began making her remarkable, lush abstract paintings more than 30 years ago. To execute two series that are referred to as “Waves” and “Waterfalls,” she adopted a decidedly untraditional approach. She pours as well as drips and flings fluid oil pigments of various viscosities in multiple layers down the surfaces of upright, primed linen canvases. Consciously avoiding any temptation to create deliberate compositions, Steir does not apply brushstrokes to her work to realize recognizable imagery, instead letting chance guide her process. Since she began working this way, her paintings have attracted legions of admirers.