Agnes Martin
PainterKnown for:
stripe paintings; Friendship (1963)
Education:
Columbia University (MA); University of New Mexico (BS)
Agnes Martin developed a practice of near-monochromatic horizontal-striped paintings - executed in graphite, pencil, and diluted acrylic on large square canvases - that she described as expressions of happiness, innocence, and beauty rather than minimalist formalism. She withdrew from the art world in 1967 and spent several years living in isolation in New Mexico before resuming painting in 1974. She received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale in 1997.
Agnes Martin's Gear List(1)
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Connection Source
Aci IacWebsite
Connection note
Switched to acrylic exclusively after 1974, applied as diluted washes over white gesso-primed linen
Product description
Acrylic paint — pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion — dries quickly to a water-resistant finish and can be thinned with water or medium. Introduced commercially in the 1950s, it became the dominant alternative to oil paint for contemporary painters working in flat color, mixed media, and large-scale formats.
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Last updated March 20, 2026