Pat Steir

Long brushstrokes in black and white repeat in rhythm. Flung ink, inspired by Japanese painting, adds depth and dynamism. Pat Steir’s mark-making is more deliberate than it may appear. “From Japanese calligraphy I learned the art of the finely gauged gesture: a moment of total concentration that is channeled into a sudden burst of energy.” Dripping brushstrokes are a signature motif in Steir’s work, balancing control and chance. This work creates the illusion of a waterfall and—with its reliance on gravity to pull the pigment down the sheet—literally becomes a waterfall.

–Jan Howard, Houghton P. Metcalf Jr. Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs