Artistic Work of Pat Steir. Visual & Performing Arts Essay

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Artistic Work of Pat Steir
Different artists use varied artistic styles in their work, which is usually influenced by their creativity, intuition, and the works of other artists. Pat Steir is one of the most creative artists who have drawn their inspirations from different sources to come up with a unique series of paintings called the Waterfall. The paintings consist of splashed pigments of different colors on canvas. Most of her paintings are aligned to Taoist philosophy and the Abstract Expressionism. However, some are also inspired by paintings of the Colour field. Her paintings have a unique characteristic.
In the mid-1980s, Pat Steir developed an effective way of producing a series of paintings new using style that was contrary to the traditional techniques. She utilized gravity while painting, in which she poured pigments using a bucket or a larger painting brush that she positioned on top of the canvas using a ladder (Allen 9). She chose gravity to produce original paintings which gave space for 'chaos' and 'accident' to express the beauty of allowing nature to take its course. She argued that the traditional painters did all the work on the canvas, but in her case, she chose to involve nature by applying gravity (Apollo n.p). This is the most outstanding characteristic of Steir's artistic style.
Another feature of Steir's work is the use of multiple layers of pigments on her paintings. Contrary to the traditional artwork, which used one or two layers, her paintings had more than two layers of pigment. The arts had successive layers of paint that are laid in sequences. The first layer of pigment is allowed to dry. Wet paint is then added and allowed to dry; more pigments are successively added until the final painting is obtained (Rosenberger 153). She also used a Renaissance device (green ground) to reduce the blinding effect of the white cotton surface of the canvas. She diluted the pigments for her paintings using turpentine and linseed oil until they become watery (Locks Gallery n.p). This also enabled the pigments she used to coat the canvas thoroughly. Most artists would prefer to use more viscous pigments in the paintings to retain control of determining where the pigment falls on the surface of the canvas.
The dilution was followed by mounting canvas on steel bars. She dripped and poured fluid pigments of varied viscosity onto the canvas. She consciously avoided the temptations of deliberately creating compositions on the canvas by allowing chance to drive the entire process. She also avoided using brushstrokes, which would create deliberate impressions (Helmreich 210). It distinguishes her from other painters that use brushstrokes to create an impression on canvas in the creation of their artistic work. When interviewed in 2014, she argued that her idea ingrained in touching canvas or painting, but to pour the paints on the canvas and allow it to make the picture itself (Steir 32). She also explained that different pigments produce different impressions with varied weights. Besides, other artists do not paint by pouring pigments on canvas; neither do they depend on gravity. Their work entails careful and deliberate creation of pictures, ...