PH-351 1940

Clyfford Still made this oil on canvas painting, PH-351, at an unknown date. Still uses paint in an unconventional way here; he's almost sculpting with it. Look closely, and you'll notice thick layers of pigment built up, creating a textured surface. This isn't about smooth illusionism. It's about the physical reality of the paint itself. Now, consider what this means in terms of labor. Still's process is direct, visceral. It speaks to a hands-on approach. Compare this to the slick surfaces we often see in mass-produced images, or even the polished bronzes of classical sculpture. There's a different kind of truth here—a truth rooted in the act of making. Ultimately, Still invites us to appreciate not just the image, but the very stuff of art itself. By foregrounding material and process, he challenges the traditional hierarchy that places concept above craft, inviting us to reconsider what we value in a work of art.