Cloud Kilimanjaro

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.