Cloud Kilimanjaro
Modern and Contemporary Art

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Cloud Kilimanjaro
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
Sam Gilliam
American, born 1933
American, born 1933
Date
1970
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Accession #
1993.146
Dimensions
65 x 65 x 16 inches
Location
Currently Not on View
Description
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.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy Butler Gilliam in memory of her parents, Adee Conklin Butler and Jessie Norment ButlerImage Copyright
© Sam Gilliam