This article is about the painter Thomas Downing. For the Congressman, see Thomas N. Downing. For the British Olympic athlete, see Thomas Downing (athlete).
In 1951 he returned to the United States, and after serving in the U.S. Army, settled in Washington, D.C., where he began to teach, in 1953. The following summer, he enrolled in a summer institute at Catholic University, studying under Kenneth Noland. He became a friend of Noland, who became a significant influence on Downing's art and who was one of the founders of the Washington Color Field Movement.
From 1965 to 1968, Downing taught at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C. There he taught several people who in their turn became artists influenced by Downing's ideas.
His paintings to a large extent consisted of circles arranged in precise patterns on the canvas, with colors often chosen according to ideas of symmetry. Downing's Spot Paintings are his best known works.[3]
In the last ten years of his life, Downing lived in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He died in October 1985 in Provincetown, Massachusetts at the age of 57. In its obituary the Washington Times characterized his death as mysterious. The newspaper was referring to the then recent demise of Washington Color Field artist Gene Davis (1920–1985) and to the earlier death of Howard Mehring (1931–1978), as well.[4]
^Hardy S. George, The Washington Color Painters pp.77-81 Breaking the Mold, Selections from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, 1961-1968, exhibition catalogue, Oklahoma City Museum of Art 2007, ISBN0-911919-05-8
Sourcesedit
Various authors: Barbara Rose, Gerald Nordland, Walter Hopps, Hardy S. George; Breaking the Mold, Selections from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, 1961–1968, exhibition catalogue, Oklahoma City Museum of Art 2007, ISBN0-911919-05-8
thomas, downing, painter, this, article, about, painter, thomas, downing, congressman, thomas, downing, british, olympic, athlete, thomas, downing, athlete, thomas, downing, 1928, 1985, american, painter, associated, with, washington, color, field, movement, w. This article is about the painter Thomas Downing For the Congressman see Thomas N Downing For the British Olympic athlete see Thomas Downing athlete Thomas Downing 1928 1985 was an American painter associated with the Washington Color Field Movement which also featured Sam Gilliam Kenneth Noland Howard Mehring Alma Thomas and Paul Reed 1 Contents 1 Life and work 2 References 3 Sources 4 External linksLife and work editThomas Downing was born in Suffolk Virginia He studied at Randolph Macon College Ashland Virginia where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948 He then studied at the Pratt Institute a well known art school in Brooklyn New York until 1950 That year he received a grant from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts enabling him to travel to Europe where he studied briefly at the Academie Julian in Paris In 1951 he returned to the United States and after serving in the U S Army settled in Washington D C where he began to teach in 1953 The following summer he enrolled in a summer institute at Catholic University studying under Kenneth Noland He became a friend of Noland who became a significant influence on Downing s art and who was one of the founders of the Washington Color Field Movement In the late 1950s Downing shared a studio with Howard Mehring another artist of the Washington Color School and Color Field painting In 1964 Clement Greenberg included Noland Mehring Downing and others in his traveling museum exhibition called Post painterly Abstraction 2 From 1965 to 1968 Downing taught at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington D C There he taught several people who in their turn became artists influenced by Downing s ideas His paintings to a large extent consisted of circles arranged in precise patterns on the canvas with colors often chosen according to ideas of symmetry Downing s Spot Paintings are his best known works 3 In the last ten years of his life Downing lived in Provincetown Massachusetts He died in October 1985 in Provincetown Massachusetts at the age of 57 In its obituary the Washington Times characterized his death as mysterious The newspaper was referring to the then recent demise of Washington Color Field artist Gene Davis 1920 1985 and to the earlier death of Howard Mehring 1931 1978 as well 4 References edit 1 Archived 2012 07 29 at the Wayback Machine retrieved June 21 2009 Greenberg s essay retrieved June 21 2009 2 Saul OstrowThomas Downing at Gary Snyder ProjectSpace Art in America May 2008 retrieved June 21 2009 Hardy S George The Washington Color Painters pp 77 81 Breaking the Mold Selections from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art 1961 1968 exhibition catalogue Oklahoma City Museum of Art 2007 ISBN 0 911919 05 8Sources editVarious authors Barbara Rose Gerald Nordland Walter Hopps Hardy S George Breaking the Mold Selections from the Washington Gallery of Modern Art 1961 1968 exhibition catalogue Oklahoma City Museum of Art 2007 ISBN 0 911919 05 8External links editBiography 3 Biography on Artnet Thomas Downing on Artnet Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas Downing painter amp oldid 1217807422, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
