Untitled 1959

This untitled painting was made by Clyfford Still, an American artist associated with the abstract expressionist movement. Here, we see a large canvas dominated by fields of colour, fractured and layered. The interplay of light and dark, the rough edges of the forms, and the sheer scale of the work invite us to contemplate the sublime. But let’s think about the social context in which it was made. In post-war America, abstract expressionism became a symbol of freedom and individualism, subtly deployed in ideological battle with the communist East. Museums and galleries played a crucial role in promoting this new American art. To understand this work better, we need to consider the cultural politics of the time. Art historians consult a range of sources, from artists' writings to exhibition reviews, to understand how art is shaped by and, in turn, shapes the world around it.