1936 - 2025

Tehnični podatki

  • Lifespan: 89 years
  • Art period: Modern
  • Nationality: United States
  • Top 3 works: Straight Flush
  • Museums on this site: The Phillips Collection
  • Copyright status: Under copyright

The Life and Artistic Evolution of Thornton Willis

Thornton Wilson Willis was an American abstract painter born on May 25, 1936, in Pensacola, Florida. After serving three years in the United States Marine Corps, he studied at Auburn University and later graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.A. in 1962. He continued his graduate studies at the University of Alabama, receiving his M.A. in 1966. During his time in Alabama, he studied painting with Melville Price.

In 1967, Willis moved to New York City to teach at Wagner College on Staten Island and established a studio in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. His career included several distinct series of work:

  • Slat Series: Created between 1967 and 1973, involving a "wet on wet" process on large unstretched canvas.
  • Wedge Series: Developed from 1974 to 1982, exploring form and field ambiguity.
  • Triangle Paintings: Spanning the decade from 1990 to 2000, featuring a term he coined as "biomorphic cubism."
  • Lattices: A rectilinear format created after 2007.

Recognition and Legacy

Willis's work has been included in the permanent collections of several institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY. He was a member of the American Abstract Artists and received various honors, such as a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1979 and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

He passed away on June 15, 2025, in Manhattan. His marriage to fellow painter Vered Lieb lasted until his death.

Vprašanja in odgovori

Kje se je rodil/a Thornton Willis in v kateri državi?

Thornton Willis se je rodil/a v mestu Pensacola v državi United States.

Ali lahko dela umetnika Thornton Willis pregledam po tehniki?

Vsa dela umetnika Thornton Willis v določeni tehniki si lahko ogledate na njegovi strani Vse tehnike.

S kakšnimi pseudonimi ali alternativnimi imeni je znan/a Thornton Willis?

Thornton Willis se pojavlja tudi pod imeni ثورنتون ويليس.

Na kakšna obdobja je razdeljena kariera umetnika Thornton Willis?

Kariera umetnika Thornton Willis se razprezeta obdobje po obdobju na njegovi strani Zgodovina umetnosti: kot vodoravna časovna linija umetnin, razvrščena v poglavja glede na obdobja njegove kariere.

Samotest

Pri vsakem vprašanju je na voljo le eden pravilen odgovor.

Vprašanje 1:
In which city was Thornton Willis born?
Vprašanje 2:
Which series of paintings involved a 'wet on wet' process using rollers on large unstretched canvas?
Vprašanje 3:
In which year did Thornton Willis win a Guggenheim Fellowship for painting?
Vprašanje 4:
What term did Thornton Willis coin to describe his grid-based paintings from the 1990s?
Vprašanje 5:
Which museum's permanent collection includes the painting 'Wall' (1969)?