Jules Olitski (1922-2007)

Alongside Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis, Jules Olitski was instrumental in the development of the Color Field school, Abstract Expressionism's second generation. After emigrating to the United States in 1926 Olitski attended the Pratt Institute and the National Academy of Design. Like many other artists of his time, he served in World War II through the G.I. Bill, which funded his studies in Paris after the war. It wasn't until the late 1950's, however, that Olitski began to receive recognition for his work.

Clement Greenberg was one of Olitski's most steadfast advocates. In what Greenberg termed "Post-painterly Abstraction" Olitski, along with Ellsworth Kelly, Kenneth Noland, and the aforementioned artists, reacted against the heavy, emotive brushstrokes and expressionistic directness of Action Painting. These new painters adopted novel techniques such as staining, ink rollers, and (Olitski's greatest breakthrough) airbrushing to eliminate the illusion of depth and remove any remaining vestiges of the artist's hand.

Olitski's pioneering use of spray guns to apply paint disintegrated the picture surface and caused a stir in the art world. He appeared together with Frankenthaler, Kelly, and Lichtenstein at the 33rd Venice Biennale in 1966 and enjoyed several successful exhibitions throughout the late 1960's. In the following years Olitski shifted direction applying exaggerated impasto, which seemed to recall the early Abstract Expressionists from whom he had so dynamically diverged. This late artistic shift is only now becoming better understood and appreciated and Olitski's contribution throughout his long career continues to influence later artists.