Pat Steir's Meditative Paintings Return to Rome at Gagosian

American artist Pat Steir (Newark, 1940) returns to Rome after two decades with the exhibition 'Paintings' at Gagosian Gallery, on view until May 7, 2022. The show features eight large-scale works, including 'Roman Rainbow' (2021-22), created for the occasion and dedicated to Rome's light, with layered orange, yellow, and blue drips over a bright red monochrome ground. This piece continues her 'Colour Wheel' series (2019), thirty canvases made for the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, exploring color dynamics through a technique blending Chinese calligraphy and the Zen Buddhist 'yipin' ink-splashing method (8th–9th century) with American Abstract Expressionism, referencing Jackson Pollock, Morris Louis, and Cy Twombly, as well as Lee Ufan and Niele Toroni. Steir describes her process: 'My idea is not to touch the canvas, nor to paint, but to pour the paint and let the paint itself create an image.' The exhibition includes three black-and-white works on one wall—'One Afternoon' (2021-22), 'Raindrop' (2021-22), and 'Night' (2021-22)—and 'Winter Daylight' (2021-22) opposite 'Winter Evening' (2021-22) at the entrance, creating a meditative experience bridging East and West. Steir's career began in 1970s New York within the feminist movement, and Rome holds special significance, culminating in her 2003 show 'D'acqua e d'aria' at Galleria Nazionale, promoted by Galleria Bonomo.