Pat Steir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pat Steir
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Steir in 2014
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| Born |
Iris Patricia Sukoneck
April 10, 1938 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Died | March 25, 2026 (aged 87) New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Pratt Institute Boston University College of Fine Arts |
| Known for | Painting, printmaking |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship (1982); Pratt Institute honorary doctorate (1991); Boston University Distinguished Alumni Award (2001); Pratt Institute Alumni Achievement Award (2008) |
Pat Steir (born Iris Patricia Sukoneck on April 10, 1938, and who passed away on March 25, 2026) was a famous American artist. She was known for her unique "Waterfall" paintings. These artworks looked like paint was dripping, splashing, or poured onto the canvas. She also created large wall drawings.
Her art was shown in museums and galleries around the world. These included the Tate Gallery in London and the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Pat Steir won many awards for her work. Her paintings are now part of important museum collections. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Pat Steir also helped start a bookshop called Printed Matter. She also helped create a journal called Heresies, which focused on art and social topics. She taught art at famous schools like Princeton University. Pat Steir lived and worked mostly in New York City.
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Pat Steir's Early Life and Art Education
Pat Steir was born Iris Patricia Sukoneck in Newark, New Jersey, on April 10, 1938. She studied art at the Pratt Institute in New York. Her teachers, Richard Lindner and Phillip Guston, inspired her. She also attended Boston University College of Fine Arts. Pat Steir earned her art degree in 1962.
Pat Steir's Artistic Journey
How Pat Steir Started Her Art Career
Right after art school in 1962, Pat Steir's work was shown in a group exhibition. This was at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1964, her drawings were displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She also had her first solo art show that same year. For a few years, she worked as an illustrator and book designer. She also became an art director at a publishing company. Around 1970, she became friends with other artists. She often visited artist Agnes Martin in New Mexico.
In the 1970s, Pat Steir became known for paintings of roses or other images. These images often had an "X" drawn over them. She explained that she wanted to show how images can be symbols. Her painting Nothing from 1974 is a good example of this style.
Pat Steir's Famous "Waterfall" Paintings
In 1973, Pat Steir had her first museum show at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. This was the start of many art exhibitions for her. She also created large art installations. Pat Steir was also a skilled printmaker. Her prints were shown in many places, including the Tate Gallery in London, England.
She had solo painting shows at the Brooklyn Museum in 1984. Another show was at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in 1987. These exhibitions traveled to museums across Europe. In the late 1980s, Pat Steir started making her famous "Waterfall" paintings. She was inspired by artists like John Cage. These paintings used dripping, splashing, and pouring paint. This allowed for some chance in how the art turned out.
She connected this style to ancient Chinese "ink-splashing" artists. She studied how nature and art can work together. Her print Wind and Water shows this style. From 1989 to 1992, she often used only one color in her paintings. In 1995, a book about her art, titled Pat Steir, was published. It covered her work up to that time. In 1999, Art in America magazine featured her "Waterfall" paintings. A critic wrote that these paintings showed her interest in Asian art and philosophy. They represented the flow of water, or paint, down a surface.
In 2010, she created an installation called The Nearly Endless Line. It was a white line on dark walls, lit with blue light. One writer said that viewers felt like they were inside her painting. Pat Steir once said she wanted to be a "great artist" by reaching people's souls.
Pat Steir's Personal Life
Pat Steir was married twice. She kept the last name Steir. She passed away in Manhattan, New York, on March 25, 2026, at 87 years old.
Awards and Honors for Pat Steir
Pat Steir received many awards for her art. She got grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1982, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a very respected award. Her old schools also honored her. Pratt Institute gave her an honorary doctorate in 1991. Boston University gave her a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2001. In 2016, she became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Where Pat Steir's Art Was Shown
Over her long career, Pat Steir's art was shown in many galleries. Some of these included Terry Dintenfass Gallery and Cheim & Read. Her work was also featured in major museums. These included the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Brooklyn Museum. The New Museum of Contemporary Art also held her exhibitions.
- Silent Secret Waterfalls: The Barnes Series, Barnes Foundation, 2019.
- Pat Steir: Color Wheel, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 2019.
Where to Find Pat Steir's Art Today
You can find Pat Steir's art in many important collections worldwide. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Her work is also at the Tate Gallery in London and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Other museums include the Phoenix Art Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
