Still, Clyfford (1904–80). Painter
An *abstract expressionist, he made his mark with looming, jagged, heavily impastoed compositions of enormous size. Frequently, a single hue, usually dark and often black, covers much of the canvas, while bursts of bright color shine from irregular interstices. At their best, his dramatic paintings echo vast spaces, suggest the power of natural forces, and imply metaphysical grandeur. But in his quest to “achieve a purpose beyond vanity, ambition, or remembrance,” Still sometimes skirted bombastic melodrama. Despite his early contribution to abstract expressionism, Still loathed the New York art world, dismissed the entire heritage of European painting as worthless, and haughtily denied any influences on his work. At heart an extreme romantic, he cast his role in Nietzschean terms, seeing himself as a misunderstood visionary whose art constituted a spiritual bulwark against the corruptions of society.... ...
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