Sam Gilliam (American, born 1933)
Abstract Expressionist painter, Sam Gilliam, is best known for his color field images that manipulate both color and space. His bold colors work against the unprimed, unstretched canvases which serve as both a conforming geometric structure and deconstructed space. Gilliam was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and grew up in Kentucky. In 1962, he moved to Washington D.C. and joined the second generation of the Washington Color School (following Morris Louis and Kenneth Noland, who belonged to the first generation). Over the course of his career Gilliam has established himself as one of the foremost African American contemporary Color Field painters and his work, in addition to being featured in numerous exhibitions and private collections, is in the permanent collection of numerous American museums.
Information courtesy of Skinner Inc., September 2006.
Since the early sixties, Sam Gilliam has been recognized as an original and innovative color field painter. Gilliam’s medium has evolved from stretched, then draped, and more recently wrapped canvas, which is painted and affixed with sculptural elements. This results in three-dimensional sculptural paintings. Gilliam’s diversity is further seen in his multimedia installations, including computer imaging and metallic work. New York art critic Eleanor Hartney writes, “Gilliam’s works are painstakingly orchestrated to create a sense of internal harmony”. A Mississippi native, Gilliam now lives in Washington D. C. and has taught in many public schools in the Washington area.
Information courtesy of New Orleans Auction, February 2009.