4. Abstract Expressionism

Clyfford Still’s art from the 1950s embodies many of the attributes often associated with the mid-century American art movement, Abstract Expressionism. These attributes include monumental scale, activation of the painting’s edges, non-objective imagery, all-over composition, and an emphasis on the physical traits of paint itself to achieve an expressive quality. Select five abstract expressionist paintings from the seventeen included below to hang together in one of the Museum’s galleries (scroll all the way down to see the options). Tell us why you chose these paintings when you confirm your votes.
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Abstract painting with maroon, white, black, and orange paint

Clyfford Still, PH-1072, 1952.
Oil on canvas, 112 x 154 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY.
(Never been shown at CSM)

PH-1072

Vertical abstract painting with black, dark red, white, orange, and yellow

Clyfford Still, PH-150, 1958.
Oil on canvas, 145 x 113 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-150

Abstract painting with mostly black paint and lighter shades fo black and a thin orange line along the left side

Clyfford Still, PH-1078, 1951.
Oil on canvas, 113 x 158 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-1078

Abstract oil painting with mostly a dark reddish brown with some black paint

Clyfford Still, PH-236, 1954.
Oil on canvas, 117 x 105 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-236

Abstract painting with bare canvas black paint along the bottom and side, red, yellow, blue and white

Clyfford Still, PH-965, 1957.
Oil on canvas, 117 1/4 x 105 3/4 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY
(Never been shown)

PH-965

Abstract oil painting with mostly black paint and hints of brown, red, and yellow with a thin yellow line

Clyfford Still, PH-1182, 1954.
Oil on canvas, 117 3/8 x 93 1/2 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY
(Never been shown)

PH-1182

Abstract oil painting with mostly grayish blue and some black, yellow and red paint in the corner

Clyfford Still, PH-1071, 1951.
Oil on canvas, 117 3/4 x 106 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-1071

Abstract painting with bare canvas, black, white, yellow, red, orange, and pink paint

Clyfford Still, PH-955, 1958.
Oil on canvas, 113 3/8 x 96 1/4 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-955

Abstract oil painting with a goldish yellow bottom section, black above it, and some blue and white

Clyfford Still, PH-950, 1950.
Oil on canvas, 91 1/4 x 68 1/4 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-950

Abstract oil painting with a black frame of paint, inside that some tan, bare canvas, tan figure in the lower right corner, and gold paint

Clyfford Still, PH-16, 1950.
Oil on canvas, 69 5/8 x 62 1/2 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-16

Abstract painting with mostly black paint and lighter shades fo black with a section of very dark gray in the center

Clyfford Still, PH-72, 1957.
Oil on canvas, 74 3/4 x 81 3/4 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-72

Abstract oil painting with sections of bare canvas and jagged sections of reddish brown, gold, black, and highlights of yellow and blue

Clyfford Still, PH-957, 1957.
Oil on canvas, 92 1/2 x 108 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-957

Vertical abstract oil painting with jagged sections of brown, black, red, purple, and some highlights of orange, blue, and bare canvas

Clyfford Still, PH-1060, 1954.
Oil on canvas, 117 x 93 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-1060

Horizontal abstract oil painting with large jagged sections of black paint with bare canvas visible and small spots of color

Clyfford Still, PHX-31, c. 1957.
Oil on canvas, 112 3/4 x 155 3/4 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PHX-31

Vertical abstract oil painting almost completely covered in black paint, with an area of very dark gray at the top and small sections of yellow and red

Clyfford Still, PH-949, 1951.
Oil on canvas, 90 x 67 3/4 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-949

Abstract oil painting with mostly red paint and small splotches of gray, orange, yellow, and blue

Clyfford Still, PH-1107, 1951.
Oil on canvas, 105 1/8 x 118 1/4 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY

PH-1107

Abstract oil painting with two large sections of black, some bare canvas separating the areas, and small sections of brown, orange, and yellow

Clyfford Still, PH-393, 1956.
Oil on canvas, 104 1/4 x 91 in.
Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, CO.
© City and County of Denver / ARS, NY