PH-1023 1976

Clyfford Still made PH-1023 with oil paint, a material closely tied to industrial production. Think about how those pigments are manufactured, and then distributed into the hands of artists. Still's paintings always reward close attention to the surface, the way the colors are laid down. Look at how he builds up these vertical masses of color, using a palette knife to create ridges and valleys of pigment. You can almost feel the weight of the paint, the labor involved. The tearing, ragged edges of the color fields give a sense of dynamic energy, as if the forms are struggling to break free. Still was part of the Abstract Expressionist movement, which celebrated individual expression and freedom. However, the artist also lived through an era of mass production and consumerism, and the influence of these forces can be seen in the painting's bold, assertive forms and industrial materials. Ultimately, this work encourages us to consider not only the artist's intention but also the social context and material conditions that shaped its creation.