Pat Steir

Mirage III

Pat Steir came to prominence in the 1960s among the first wave of female artists to gain significant recognition in the American art world. Steirs early paintings examined symbology and representational semantics, often incorporating actions or marks of effacement or redaction. Influenced by Taoism and Buddhism, Steirs painting developed into contemplative and sublime expressions of nature.

Her Waterfall paintings, her most significant body of work, were initiated in the late 1980s. These works, characterized by the downward gravitational drip of paint, blur the line between representation and abstraction. Steir is noted as holding the conviction that her works are never finished; instead, they are passed on to the viewer when she ceases painting as an invitation for further meditation and insight.

Mirage III is one of a few outdoor installations within the body of work, and is preceded by an iteration made for the 1992 edition of Documenta.

Exhibitions of Steirs work have been held at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC; Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia among many others. In 1991, Steir was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Pratt Institute, New York.

Pat Steir came to prominence in the 1960s among the first wave of female artists to gain significant recognition in the American art world. Steirs early paintings examined symbology and representational semantics, often incorporating actions or marks of effacement or redaction. Influenced by Taoism and Buddhism, Steirs painting developed into contemplative and sublime expressions of nature.

Her Waterfall paintings, her most significant body of work, were initiated in the late 1980s. These works, characterized by the downward gravitational drip of paint, blur the line between representation and abstraction. Steir is noted as holding the conviction that her works are never finished; instead, they are passed on to the viewer when she ceases painting as an invitation for further meditation and insight.

Mirage III is one of a few outdoor installations within the body of work, and is preceded by an iteration made for the 1992 edition of Documenta.

Exhibitions of Steirs work have been held at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC; Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia among many others. In 1991, Steir was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Pratt Institute, New York.

Pat Steir came to prominence in the 1960s among the first wave of female artists to gain significant recognition in the American art world. Steirs early paintings examined symbology and representational semantics, often incorporating actions or marks of effacement or redaction. Influenced by Taoism and Buddhism, Steirs painting developed into contemplative and sublime expressions of nature.

Her Waterfall paintings, her most significant body of work, were initiated in the late 1980s. These works, characterized by the downward gravitational drip of paint, blur the line between representation and abstraction. Steir is noted as holding the conviction that her works are never finished; instead, they are passed on to the viewer when she ceases painting as an invitation for further meditation and insight.

Mirage III is one of a few outdoor installations within the body of work, and is preceded by an iteration made for the 1992 edition of Documenta.

Exhibitions of Steirs work have been held at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC; Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia among many others. In 1991, Steir was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Pratt Institute, New York.

Pat Steir

Pat Steir

Mirage III

Exhibition

Exhibition

Materials & Dimensions

Materials & Dimensions

Acrylic on scrim

Year

Year

2022

Site

Site

1360 N Prospect Ave, MIlwaukee, WI, 53202

Credits

Credits

Diana Thater

True Life Adventures

Diana Thater

True Life Adventures

Diana Thater

True Life Adventures

Oscar Tuazon

Recycled River

Oscar Tuazon

Recycled River

Oscar Tuazon

Recycled River

Meg Webster

Glass Spiral

Meg Webster

Glass Spiral

Meg Webster

Glass Spiral

thank you

To our generous sponsors, partners, collaborators, and supporters who make our work possible.

Founding & Sustaining
Sponsors

* indicates both Founding and sustaining founding sponsor

Anonymous
Donna & Donald Baumgartner*
Black Box Fund
Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation
Susan & Mark Irgens*
Mellowes Family*
Sue & Bud Selig*
Julie & David Uihlein*
Lacey Sadoff Foundation

presenting

Collaborator

Betty Arndt
City of Milwaukee Arts Board
Good Karma Brands

leader

Anonymous
Heil Family Foundation
Godfrey & Kahn

Exhibition Partner

Visionary

George & Karen Oliver

sculpture

Wayne & Lori Morgan

Connector

BMO
Foley & Lardner
Hawks Landscaping
Open Pantry
PNC Bank
PwC
Russ Darrow Group
Town Bank
US Bank
WeycoGroup

Sculpture Milwaukee is always free and open to the public thanks to our generous supporters.

We work with trusted community partners to ensure great contemporary art is accessible to all.

Colophon

© 2025 Sculpture Milwaukee

thank you

To our generous sponsors, partners, collaborators, and supporters who make our work possible.

Founding & Sustaining
Sponsors

* indicates both Founding and sustaining founding sponsor

Anonymous
Donna & Donald Baumgartner*
Black Box Fund
Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation
Herb Kohl Philanthropies
Herzfeld Foundation
Hoke Family Foundation
Susan & Mark Irgens*
Mandel Groups*
Mellowes Family*
Sue & Bud Selig*
Julie & David Uihlein*
Lacey Sadoff Foundation

presenting

Collaborator

Betty Arndt
City of Milwaukee Arts Board
Good Karma Brands

leader

Anonymous
Heil Family Foundation
Godfrey & Kahn

Exhibition Partner

Visionary

Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation

sculpture

Wayne & Lori Morgan

Connector

BMO
Foley & Lardner
Hawks Landscaping
Open Pantry
PNC Bank
PwC
Russ Darrow Group
Town Bank
US Bank
WeycoGroup

Sculpture Milwaukee is always free and open to the public thanks to our generous supporters.

We work with trusted community partners to ensure great contemporary art is accessible to all.

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Colophon

© 2025 Sculpture Milwaukee