1936 - 2025

Kerngegevens

  • 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.

Vraag en antwoord

Welke stemmingen drukken de kunstwerken van Thornton Willis uit?

Op de Sfeercollectie pagina van de kunstenaar vindt u de kunstwerken van Thornton Willis, gerangschikt op basis van hun sfeer.

Waar zijn de kunstwerken van Thornton Willis gegroepeerd op trefwoorden te vinden?

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Hoe vind ik alle werken van Thornton Willis per medium?

Om alle werken van Thornton Willis in een bepaald medium te vinden, kunt u de Alle technieken pagina van de kunstenaar gebruiken.

Onder welke andere namen is Thornton Willis bekend?

Thornton Willis staat ook bekend als ثورنتون ويليس.

Test je oog

Er is slechts één goed antwoord op elke vraag.

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