Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID Number |
2018.006.003 |
Artist |
Gilliam, Sam |
Title |
Untitled |
Date |
1973 |
Medium |
Screenprint with embossing, stitching, and handcoloring in oil |
Dimensions (H x W x D) |
28.5" x 38.25" |
Credit Line |
Maribeth Collins Art Acquisition Fund |
Culture |
North American / United States / Washington, D.C. |
Collection |
Survey Collection |
Object Name |
|
Description |
Abstract multicolor print on highly textured and creased paper with a zigzag sewn seam through the middle; a variety of techniques including screen printing and abstract expressionist splatters. Yellow, red, blue, and purple ink, some with glitter. |
Exhibit Label Copy |
Washington, D.C. based artist, Sam Gilliam is well known for his formal explorations color, texture, and shape. The mid-1960s marked the development of Gilliam's most significant contribution to modern and contemporary art: draped canvas. His rejection of the standard presentation of stretched canvas paintings displayed on the wall pushed the boundaries between sculpture and painting. The variable nature of these draped canvases, which can be installed in different ways, is akin to improvisation and spontaneity of jazz compositions, the structure of which inspires Gilliam's process. In the time following his draped canvases, he has continued to experiment with a multitude of techniques, exploring new avenues of artistic expression by incorporating metal forms, thickly applied paint, and quilt-like painting. Gilliam has also been actively engaged in printmaking throughout his career. As an African American artist, Gilliam recalls pressure in the 1960s and 1970s to convey racial struggle and progress via figural rather than abstract work, and argued that, "We need to remember the whole of what art is, what it does. Although my work is not overtly political, I believe art has the ability to call attention to politics and to remind us of this potential through its presence". |