Winter Sky,

2002

Steir created Winter Sky through an unrestrained aesthetic rooted in Chinese traditions of the eighth and ninth centuries, in which the modulation of ink washes was used to create vast landscapes. Chance is central to Steir’s practice; she pours, splashes, throws, and drips paint onto vertically hung unstretched canvases. Her compositions incorporate her practiced study of gravity and the interactive chemistry of the paint layers. Monumental in scale, the space‐forming Winter Sky engulfs its viewers, encouraging them to physically engage with the infinite universe while contemplating its ephemerality.