African American painter Sam Gilliam (b. βββββ ββ βββββββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββββ βββββ βββββββ β βββββ ββ βββββ βββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββββ βββ βββββ βββ ββββββ βββ βββββ βββββ βββββ βββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ βββββββ βββββ βββ ββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββββ βββ
Intro topic Β·
Painter Sam Gilliam and Washington Color School (WCS)
Abstract artists
ββ βββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββββββββββββββ ββββββββββ βββββ ββ ββββββ ββββββ ββ βββ ββββββ
History of WCS Β·
From complex to simplified abstractions
βββββββββ βββββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββββ ββββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββ ββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββββββ βββ βββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββββ βββββββ βββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββββββ βββββββββββββ βββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββββββ ββ βββββ βββ βββββ βββ ββββββ ββββ βββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ ββββββββββββ βββ βββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββ βββββββββββββββ βββ βββββββββββ βββ
Gilliam's motivation Β·
To create more experimental, less literal art than contemporaries
Other African American artists' work was representational (literal) with clear messages; Gilliam wanted more "artsy" art
βββ ββββββββ βββ ββ βββ ββββββββββββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββββ βββ βββββ ββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββββββ ββββββ ββββ βββ βββ βββββ βββββββ ββββ βββ βββββββ βββββββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββββββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββββββββββββ βββ
Example of literal art Β·
What Gilliam was reacting against
ββ βββ βββββ ββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββββββββββ ββββ β βββββββ ββββββ ββ β βββββββββ βββββββ ββββ βββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββ βββ
Revisit Gilliam's motivation Β·
To create more expressive art
Saw literal art as limiting
ββ ββββ ββ βββββββββββ β ββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββββ βββββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ
Author's perspective Β·
Gilliam's motivation was unique
βββββββββ ββββββ ββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ βββ βββββββ ββ βββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββ
Contrast Β·
Gilliam's view with public's view
Public expected African American art to have direct, political messages; Gilliam's art was different, experimental
βββ βββββ βββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββ βββ βββββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββββββββ βββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββββββ βββββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββ ββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββ βββββ ββββββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββββ ββββββ ββββ β βββββ βββββββββ βββ βββββββββ β ββββββββββ ββββββββ βββ
Examples of Gilliam's style Β·
Folded and unsupported canvases
βββββ βββββββ βββββββββββ β βββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββ βββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββββββββ ββ βββββββ βββ βββββ ββ βββββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββββ β ββββββββ ββββββ βββ
Significance of examples Β·
Conveyed complex artistic ideas
ββ ββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββββ βββββββ βββ ββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββ βββ ββ βββββββββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββββββββ βββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββ βββββ ββββ βββββ βββββ βββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββ ββ ββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ
Main point Β·
Gilliam's art conveyed some things better than literal art forms could