Clinton Hill (artist)
Encyclopedia
Clinton Hill was an American abstract art
ist who created abstract color compositions on canvas, constructions made from wood and canvas, wood and plastic relief sculpture
s, collage
, woodblock prints and unique assemblages of handmade paper.
as commander of a minesweeper in the Pacific. Upon his return from service, Hill attended the University of Oregon
from which he graduated in 1947. He then moved to New York City where Hill attended the Brooklyn Museum
Art School from 1949 to 1951."The work of Clinton Hill is characterized by a lyrical abstraction which is derived from the painterly tradition of the New York School" In 1951 he left for Paris where he furthered his art studies on the GI Bill at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere
and then on to Florence, Italy where Hill studied painting at the Instituto d'Art Statale."Clinton's Hill's first important works were made in the period after 1950s." Upon returning to NY, Hill prepared for his first solo exhibition at the Zabriskie Gallery
. His friend Mark Rothko
suggested the name of the show "Ladders and Windows;" and from that exhibit in 1955 forward, Hill had numerous one man shows in both the US and Europe. Over a 55 year period Clinton Hill has been included in close to 100 exhibitions."Hill would expand his interest in physically assertive sufaces and outline into outright sculptural relief" In 1958 Hill traveled to India on a Fulbright scholarship."Since the late eighties he produced pieces with a linear element running through the handmade paper, and sculptural forms utilizing wood, charcoal and oil, sometimes attached to canvas and sometimes freestanding pieces, using similar color balances" For over 20 years he was Professor of Painting at Queens College of the City University of New York
.
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
ist who created abstract color compositions on canvas, constructions made from wood and canvas, wood and plastic relief sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s, collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
, woodblock prints and unique assemblages of handmade paper.
Life and work
Born in Fayette, Idaho, and raised on a working ranch, Clinton Hill served in the navy during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as commander of a minesweeper in the Pacific. Upon his return from service, Hill attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
from which he graduated in 1947. He then moved to New York City where Hill attended the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
Art School from 1949 to 1951."The work of Clinton Hill is characterized by a lyrical abstraction which is derived from the painterly tradition of the New York School" In 1951 he left for Paris where he furthered his art studies on the GI Bill at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere
Académie de la Grande Chaumière
The Académie de la Grande Chaumière is an art school in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, France. The school was founded in 1902 by the Swiss Martha Stettler , who refused to teach the strict academic rules of painting of the École des Beaux-Arts. It opened the way to the "Art Indépendant"...
and then on to Florence, Italy where Hill studied painting at the Instituto d'Art Statale."Clinton's Hill's first important works were made in the period after 1950s." Upon returning to NY, Hill prepared for his first solo exhibition at the Zabriskie Gallery
Zabriskie Gallery
-Early years:Virginia Zabriskie took over the art gallery with a one-dollar down payment. It had been the Korman Gallery, a cooperative that included the painters Pat Adams and Clinton Hill .-Zabriskie Gallery, France:...
. His friend Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko, born Marcus Rothkowitz , was a Russian-born American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an "abstract painter".- Childhood :Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Vitebsk Province, Russian...
suggested the name of the show "Ladders and Windows;" and from that exhibit in 1955 forward, Hill had numerous one man shows in both the US and Europe. Over a 55 year period Clinton Hill has been included in close to 100 exhibitions."Hill would expand his interest in physically assertive sufaces and outline into outright sculptural relief" In 1958 Hill traveled to India on a Fulbright scholarship."Since the late eighties he produced pieces with a linear element running through the handmade paper, and sculptural forms utilizing wood, charcoal and oil, sometimes attached to canvas and sometimes freestanding pieces, using similar color balances" For over 20 years he was Professor of Painting at Queens College of the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
.
Further reading
- Clinton Hill/Allen Tran Foundation, Clinton Hill: A 50 Year Survey. Melissa Morgan Gallery, Palm Desert, California and Jordan Schnitzer Museum, University of Oregon, Eugene, 2009–2010
- Una Johnson. American Prints and Printmakers. (Doubleday, 1980)
- Jules Heller. Papermaking. (Watson-Guptil, 1978)
- Harriet Janis & Rudi Blesh. Collage. (Chilton Co. 1962)
- Amy Winter. Clinton Hill, 1980-2002. The Godwin-Tembach Museum, Queens College, CUNY
- David Acton. A Spectrum of Innovation: Color in American Printmaking, 1890-1960. Worcester Art Museum 1990.
- Stephan Westfall, Clinton Hill. Marilyn Pearl Gallery, New York, 1988
- Martica Sawin. Clinton HIll. Paintings and Paperworks. Montclair Art Museum, 1981
- Charlotta Kotik. With Paper, About Paper. Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, 1980
- Jane M. Farmer. Paper as a Medium. Smithsonian Institution, 1978