1936 - 2025

주요 정보

  • Lifespan: 89 years
  • Art period: Modern
  • Nationality: United States
  • Top 3 works: Straight Flush
  • Museums on this site: 필립스 컬렉션
  • 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.

Q&A

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전체 작품 보기 페이지에서 Thornton Willis의 작품 작품 1점점을 만나보실 수 있습니다.

Thornton Willis의 작품을 매체별로 찾아볼 수 있나요?

모든 매체별 페이지에서는 Thornton Willis의 작품을 기법별로 모아볼 수 있습니다.

Thornton Willis은(는) 어느 시대의 작품을 남겼나요?

Thornton Willis은(는) Modern 시대에 활동했습니다. 이 시기는 역사적 맥락 속에서 작가의 예술적 위치를 보여줍니다.

간단한 퀴즈

각 질문의 정답은 하나뿐입니다.

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