Tools of the Trade: A Lifetime of Materials and Techniques

In Tools of the Trade, the Clyfford Still Museum reunites the community with a full chronological presentation of Clyfford Still’s work, with spotlights throughout on his experimentation with a range of techniques and materials. Still became renowned for his distinctive use of oil paints, applied with a metal trowel or palette knife. Throughout his career, however, he experimented with a variety of materials and techniques. He practiced and taught printmaking, at times capturing the composition of a painted work in paper-based media. He executed sketches on paper and, early in his career on window shade. In his late career, Still explored the use of latex paint, applying it with rollers of varying sizes. He also intensified his use of pastels on construction paper during the winter. The Still will show how the artist tested new strategies and materials throughout his life. By exploring the techniques Still explored during specific moments in his artmaking, visitors will learn how the professional, geographic, architectural, and material settings he created for himself often motivated his exploration of specific artistic strategies.