Robert Motherwell: Stream of Consciousness—in Paint

Robert Motherwell - Ulysses - 1947 - Oil paint on cardboard, on wood - 38 x 32 inches - Tate Modern, London (click photo for larger image)American Abstract Expressionist Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) was among the first American artists to cultivate accidental elements in his work. His decision to become a serious artist came in 1941—and he embraced several different styles during the course of his career.

“Possessing perhaps the best and most extensive formal education of all the New York School painters, Robert Motherwell was well versed in literature, philosophy and the European modernist traditions. His paintings, prints and collages feature simple shapes, bold color contrasts and a dynamic balance between restrained and boldly gestural brushstrokes. They reflect not only a dialogue with art history, philosophy and contemporary art, but also a sincere and considered engagement with autobiographical content, contemporary events and the essential human conditions of life, death, oppression and revolution.”

Motherwell was also a successful and well-known teacher and writer. He taught art at Hunter College from 1951—58, and again from 1971-72. He directed the publication of the series “The Documents of Modern Art” (1944–52), and he wrote numerous essays on art and aesthetics. Motherwell was generally regarded as the most articulate spokesman for Abstract Expressionism.

The work featured here is named after James Joyce's famous modernist novel Ulysses (1922) which Motherwell first read while traveling though Europe in 1935. Joyce's style of writing, in particular his use of stream of consciousness, had a profound effect on Motherwell, who believed that art should be an expression of the innermost thoughts and feelings of the artist.