William Clutz Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Looking Down Morning Side Yellow, Brown, and Burgundy Figurative Pastel of View of New York City Street from Window Created by William Clutz in 1978 28" X 22 1/2" inch pastel on pape...

William Clutz Out the Window 9th Floor (Black and White), 1978 Black and White Figurative Cityscape Pastel of New York City Skyline and Water Tower Created by William Clutz in 1978 2...

Cab, 1978 (Bright Yellow Pastel Drawing of Taxi Driver) by William Clutz Yellow, Blue, and Black Figurative Pastel of New York City Cab Driver Created by William Clutz in 1978 22 1/2" X 29" inch pastel on paper 25.5 x 32 x 1.5 inches in custom light wood frame, non-reflective glass This kinetic and dynamic pastel drawing features the silhouette of a cab driver in the front seat of his car. Sunlight bounces off of the brilliant yellow of his car siding, while the driver's non-descriptive facial profile is cast deep in shadow, revealing that he is wearing a hat with a brim. This drawing is a typical example of Clutz's unique approach to the pastel medium; drawings are rich with texture and comprised of multiple straight lines and energetic strokes. During this time, the artist did several oil paintings with themes involving taxis. Mostly, he depicted feature-less faces riding in the backseat as passengers, sunlight always striking unique angles of the car or window frame and rarely highlighting the figure itself. In New York, abstract expressionism was the orthodox approach to art at the time in the early 50's and 60's. However, Clutz was committed to his personal style that focused on abstracted human figures within urban tableaux. Working in a context of artists who challenged abstract expressionism's popularity in New York, Clutz established himself as a significant proponent of abstract figuration. His paintings focus on human figures within the urban environment, often exposing the transfiguration of his subjects as they travel through the complex light of city streets or summer parks. Clutz's interest in working from direct observation of urban life was influenced by a long-standing interest in German Expressionism, as well as artists like Henri Matisse, Arshile Gorky, and Nicholas De Stael...

Lafayette Sq Crossing 1976 (Framed Modern Pastel of NYC Street by William Clutz) Yellow, Brown, and Blue Figurative Pastel of New York City Street Created by William Clutz in 1976 22 1/2" X 28 1/2" inch pastel on paper 25.5 x 31 inches in light wood frame Non-Reflective UV Glass This pastel on paper drawing was made in 1976 by William Clutz. It features an impressionistic depiction of a New York City street filled with pedestrians and passing buses and cars, with the outlines of buildings in the background. In New York, abstract expressionism was the orthodox approach to art at the time in the early 50's and 60's. However, Clutz was committed to his personal style that focused on abstracted human figures within urban tableaux. Working in a context of artists who challenged abstract expressionism's popularity in New York, Clutz established himself as a significant proponent of abstract figuration. His paintings focus on human figures within the urban environment, often exposing the transfiguration of his subjects as they travel through the complex light of city streets or summer parks. Clutz's interest in working from direct observation of urban life was influenced by a long-standing interest in German Expressionism, as well as artists like Henri Matisse, Arshile Gorky, and Nicholas De Stael...