Overview

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.

Documents
Works
  • Stephen Pace, Untitled (horses), 1999
    Stephen Pace
    Untitled (horses), 1999
    Oil on canvas
    72 x 96 in
    182.9 x 243.8 cm
  • Stephen Pace, Wild Horses #2 (96-11), 1996
    Stephen Pace
    Wild Horses #2 (96-11), 1996
    Oil on canvas
    24 1/2 x 30 1/2 in
    62.2 x 77.5 cm
  • Stephen Pace, Mill River Ducks, 1993
    Stephen Pace
    Mill River Ducks, 1993
    Oil on canvas
    42 x 60 in
    106.7 x 152.4 cm
  • Stephen Pace, Two Black Swans, 1982
    Stephen Pace
    Two Black Swans, 1982
    Oil on canvas
    34 x 38 in
    86.4 x 96.5 cm
  • Stephen Pace, Gulls and Pier, 1978
    Stephen Pace
    Gulls and Pier, 1978
    Oil on canvas
    Framed: 24 1/2 x 36 1/2 in
    62.2 x 92.7 cm
  • Stephen Pace, Bettys Back Yard, 1968
    Stephen Pace
    Bettys Back Yard, 1968
    Oil on canvas
    Framed: 50 1/2 x 80 1/2 in
    128.3 x 204.5 cm
  • Stephen Pace, Cherry Pickers #2, 1966
    Stephen Pace
    Cherry Pickers #2, 1966
    Oil on canvas
    32 x 42 in
    81.3 x 106.7 cm
  • Stephen Pace, March Sunning, 1964
    Stephen Pace
    March Sunning, 1964
    Oil on canvas
    22 x 34 in
    55.9 x 86.4 cm
  • Stephen Pace, Sun Worshipper, 63-12, 1963
    Stephen Pace
    Sun Worshipper, 63-12, 1963
    Oil on canvas
    55 1/2 x 72 1/2 in
    141 x 184.2 cm
Exhibitions