Cloud Kilimanjaro
Sam Gilliam
American, 1933 – 2022

Details
Title
Cloud Kilimanjaro
Artist/Maker
Sam Gilliam (American, 1933 – 2022)
Date
1970
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions
65 x 65 x 16 inches
Credit
Gift of Dorothy Butler Gilliam in memory of her parents, Adee Conklin Butler and Jessie Norment Butler
Accession #
1993.146
On View
Currently not on view
Best known for freeing canvas from the boundaries of the stretcher, Sam Gilliam pioneered “drape” paintings, which hang against a wall from one or more points at the top of the canvas. An investigation of dimensionality in abstract painting, this innovative technique earned Gilliam a place in modern American art—this newfound orientation of the canvas allowed viewers to encounter the work from all angles. Cloud Kilimanjaro is fixed to the wall with a single nail so that its shape evokes the African mountain referenced in its title.
Image Copyright
© Sam Gilliam
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