2013.21.269
Small White Waterfall with Pink Splashes
Artist
Pat Steir
(Newark, New Jersey, 4/10/1940 - )
Title
Small White Waterfall with Pink Splashes
Creation Date
1995
Century
late 20th century
Dimensions
26 x 26 in. (66.04 x 66.04 cm)
Object Type
painting
Creation Place
North America, United States
Medium and Support
oil on canvas
Credit Line
Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2013.21.269
Since the late 1980s Pat Steir has experimented with poured, dripped, and splashed paint application and afforded the role of collaborator to chance, gravity, and time. John Cage had encouraged her to remove herself from the process and create without leaving personal marks. Agnes Martin, another mentor, advocated for a spiritual approach to art. Steir’s work, while being instantly recognizable, expresses forces larger than herself. This selfless attitude was not lost on New York collectors Dorothy and Herbert Vogel who befriended Pat Steir and collected these paintings. They later donated them to Bowdoin as part of a larger gift in 2013. The Vogels’ affinity for cutting-edge art and unreserved generosity is legendary. Like the artist, they aspired to open up their lives to the world around them.