Stephen Pace

Stephen Pace (1918-2010) brought a unique intensity to his depictions of rural life through his energetic brushwork and striking use of color. The seemingly effortless simplicity of his work has its foundations in abstract expressionism and minimalism, a style art historian Martica Sawin aptly termed “Minimal Figuration.”

Pace garnered early recognition from influential figures such as Gertrude Stein, Frank O’Hara, Hans Hoffman, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Milton Avery. His passion for drawing was evident early on; Gertrude Stein first noticed him sketching along the Seine while he was stationed in Paris during World War II.

Between 1953 and 1961, Pace experienced considerable success as a prominent second-generation New York Abstract Expressionist, participating in important exhibitions at the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Stable Gallery in New York.

However, in 1962, Pace shifted his artistic direction, moving from abstraction towards representation. Inspired by his frequent visits to Maine, he developed a distinctive style that applied the same energy and bold color characteristic of his abstract pieces to still lifes and portraits. This became his primary mode of working for the next half-century.