Recap: The Architecture of a Clyfford Still Painting – Presented by James Squires and Bailey Placzek

For the final event in our Art and Architecture series with the Clyfford Still Museum, chief conservator, James Squires, and associate curator, Bailey Placzek, uncovered the “architecture” of a Clyfford Still painting on Wednesday, August 14, 2019. Examining paintings from both the macro and micro perspectives, this presentation looked at what structure tells us about art making, technique and artist intent.

Like architectural creations, paintings are complex structures constructed of many layers. Their success as images and power to inspire are determined by the artist’s ability to manipulate the medium for artistic affect. This presentation discussed the underlying structures of different types of paintings, the artist’s manipulation of the materials in the creative process and how looking closely at these layers gives insight into the artist’s intent and impacts our interaction with the finished work.

Clyfford Still Museum image credit: Raul Garcia.