July Night

Pat Steir

1994–95

Oil on canvas

Minneapolis Institute of Art

July Night is an example of Pat Steir’s signature waterfall, or veil paintings. In order to create these works, Steir pours the thin “veils” of paint from a can or brush onto the surface of her canvas, allowing gravity and the chaos of nature to manipulate the paint and form a picture. The effect of this layering and splashing of veils of paint is an image that resembles air or water. The results are not an exact replication of a sky or waterscape, but rather the idea of nature. Steir has created the depth of the night sky through her layering and splashing of paint, allowing the forces of gravity and chance to form an image. Both t