Did Clyfford Still create Abstract Expressionism, did he “get there” before any of his peers?
It’s hard enough, in my opinion, to create a vibrant one-artist museum, unless the artist’s name is Warhol or O’Keeffe. But Dean Sobel (right), the first director of the soon-to-open Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, has set himself bigger goals — namely, the vaulting of Still into the position of AbEx creator. Sobel is joined in this by ddjunct curator and art historian David Anfam.
The museum opens next month, and I spoke with him several times over the last several months for a Cultural Conversation piece with him that will be published in tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal (here).
Sobel believes he has the goods — and the archival records, in the form of exhibition photographs, checklists, Still’s painting ledgers and the like — to prove it. Doubters, as you may know, have questioned the dates for some of Still’s works, claiming that he backdated as a matter of ego. He wanted to be first.
Heaven knows, Still had to be egotistic. Why else would someone just pack up and leave the art world, keeping almost all of his work for posterity?
So forget about the trumpted up “controversy” over the sale of four paintings from the estate, before it’s transferred to the city of Denver.
BTW, the museum will not own the paintings; they’ll be on permanent loan to the museum, which is the exclusive exhibition agent. So there was never a question of violating rules of the Association of Art Museum Directors.
Also, one fact that has been overlooked or underreported: executors of the Clyfford Still and Patricia Still estates, namely his daughters, did not object to the sale of four paintings that’s coming up at Sotheby’s in November.
As I’ve said before (here and here), I’m happy that the sales will secure the museum’s financial position — better that now than have troubles later. Just how does anyone think this museum can attract large donors, when it can’t do anything — like buy art or build a new wing — that attracts them?
The more important question for art lovers is the art historical one, and I for one am waiting to see what Ab Ex experts have to say.
Read more here.