Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is treated as still under copyright. Pat Steir was born in 1940 and has no recorded death date; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.
In context
Or — Pat Steir
The original measures 183 × 488 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height. It is too large to draw to scale on this page.
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span, counting 0 from birth.
Painted when the artist was 33. 1 of the 9 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
▲ this work, 1973 every dated painting, decade by decade
First works: up to 1982 Main working years: 1982–1997 Late works: from 1997
Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/pat-steir-or-D38TRP-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Rosy Brown #b8ac9e
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 12 works by this artist, of which 5 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Pat Steir, born Iris Patricia Sukoneck in Newark, New Jersey, in 1940, is an American painter and printmaker whose work has profoundly shaped the landscape of contemporary art. Her journey from early conceptual influences to her now-iconic “Waterfall” paintings—dynamic explorations of gravity, gesture, and chance—is a testament to her relentless curiosity and profound engagement with both artistic tradition and the unpredictable nature of creative process. Steir’s career, spanning over five decades, is marked by a consistent refusal to adhere to conventional boundaries, forging a unique visual language deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy and a fascination with the interplay between control and abandon.
Steir's artistic trajectory began at Pratt Institute in New York City during the late 1950s, where she was initially influenced by the teachings of Richard Lindner and Phillip Guston—figures whose diverse approaches to painting provided a crucial foundation for her own explorations. Returning to Pratt in 1962, she graduated with a BFA and quickly established herself within the burgeoning New York art scene. Early exhibitions at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and the Museum of Modern Art in New York demonstrated her emerging talent, showcasing a willingness to challenge existing artistic norms. This period also saw Steir working as an illustrator and book designer, experiences that honed her observational skills and deepened her understanding of visual communication—qualities she would later translate into her groundbreaking paintings. Crucially, her time at Pratt exposed her to the burgeoning conceptual art movement, fostering a critical awareness of the role of ideas within artistic practice.
Steir’s career truly took flight in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the creation of her now-famous “Waterfall” paintings. These monumental works, characterized by cascading torrents of thick, white paint layered over rich black surfaces, represent a radical departure from traditional painting techniques. Influenced by her growing interest in Eastern philosophy—particularly Taoism and Buddhism—Steir embraced the concept of wu wei (non-action), allowing gravity and chance to dictate the flow of paint across the canvas. She began experimenting with pouring, splashing, and throwing paint, relinquishing conscious control over the process and inviting the inherent unpredictability of the medium to shape the final image. As Steir herself described, these paintings were not about depicting a waterfall but rather “painting out of the painting and into space,” creating immersive environments that evoked the sublime forces of nature. The series’ genesis was also informed by her studies of Chinese ink-splashing techniques, where artists sought to capture the essence of natural phenomena through spontaneous gestures.
Building upon the success of the “Waterfall” series, Steir expanded her artistic practice into immersive installations in the mid-1980s. These site-specific works transformed gallery spaces into dynamic environments, blurring the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and performance. Steir’s approach to these installations mirrored her painting process—embracing chance and allowing the architecture of the space to influence the composition and flow of paint. Simultaneously, she continued to develop her printmaking skills, producing a series of limited-edition prints that explored similar themes of control, chaos, and the relationship between artist and material. Her collaborations with Crown Point Press resulted in critically acclaimed works that further solidified her reputation as a pioneering figure in contemporary art.
Pat Steir’s influence extends far beyond her own body of work. Her willingness to embrace chance, her deep engagement with Eastern philosophy, and her innovative use of materials have inspired generations of artists. Her work has been exhibited extensively at major museums around the world, including the Tate Gallery in London, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Steir’s paintings are now held in significant collections across the United States and abroad, a testament to her enduring artistic vision. Her legacy lies not only in the beauty and complexity of her art but also in her courageous exploration of the creative process—a constant reminder that true artistry emerges from the delicate balance between intention and surrender. She remains a vital voice in contemporary art, continuing to push boundaries and challenge conventional notions of painting and sculpture.
wahooart.com/en/art/download/pat-steir-or-D38TRP-en/
Look closely
Or — Pat Steir
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
"Or" by Pat Steir is proportioned as a panoramic work of 183 x 488 cm.
The light-dark contrast of "Or" is recorded as statement. Contrast describes how strongly light and dark areas differ.
"Or" by Pat Steir uses a neutrals color palette. The palette summarizes the work's overall color character.