"Untitled", 1971

Sam Gilliam strove to blur the widely accepted distinction between painting and sculpture cultivated by prominent contemporaries, such as Donald Judd. Gilliam's works from 1967-1973 are characterized by their monumentality and expressive colour. The canvas becomes a carrier of traces of the production process, while displaying its own materiality. Just at a time when painting seemed to be in decline, Gilliam breathed new life into it, his expressive, vital painting style being inspired not least by jazz music.