Porter Woodruff

Key facts

Movement

• Abstract Expressionism

• What is Porter Woodruff known for?+

  Porter Woodruff is known for his elegant, stylised fashion and figure work.
• What should I know about Porter Woodruff's prints?+

  Porter Woodruff is an American artist working primarily in printmaking. He is known for his serigraphs (also called silkscreen prints) and block prints. These methods allow for strong colours and clear lines. Silkscreen printing involves creating a stencil on a fine mesh, then forcing ink through the open areas. Each colour requires a separate stencil, so the process can be labour-intensive. Block printing, on the other hand, involves carving a design into a block of wood, linoleum, or other material. Ink is then applied to the raised surface and the image is transferred to paper. Woodruff's prints often feature natural forms and geometric patterns. His colour choices tend toward muted tones, but he also uses brighter hues. Many of his works are abstract, while others suggest natural settings. His prints are often appreciated for their textures and the interplay of light and shadow. He sometimes combines printmaking techniques to achieve particular effects. Collectors are drawn to the handmade quality of his prints.
• What style or movement did Porter Woodruff belong to?+

  Porter Woodruff can be associated with Abstract Expressionism, an American avant-garde movement that began in New York in the 1940s. It is also known as the New York School. This movement occurred as the centre of the Western art world shifted from Paris to New York, due to the Second World War. Abstract Expressionism is not a unified style, but rather a collection of artists who each developed their own abstract visual language. These artists aimed to express their state of mind and elicit emotional responses from viewers. They sought to tap into what Carl Jung termed the collective unconscious, often employing Surrealist improvisation methods to channel unconscious forces. The movement developed along two main lines: gestural abstraction and chromatic abstraction. Gestural abstractionists emphasised the expressiveness of energetically applied paint, while chromatic abstractionists concentrated on the emotional resonance of colour. Jackson Pollock is a prime example of gestural abstraction, using techniques such as dripping and splattering paint to create large-scale abstract works.
• What techniques or materials did Porter Woodruff use?+

  Technique, in art, encompasses both the physical materials used and the artist's approach. It involves the manual and mechanical operations that act upon raw materials, shaping them according to artistic intentions. Some artists begin with ideas and feelings, then turn to the practicalities of craft to express them. Others, such as Renoir, who decorated porcelain, start as craftsmen and move towards expressing ideas. The choice of materials can vary widely. Some artists favour oil paint, sometimes mixed with media like wax and turpentine to achieve particular effects. The paint is applied with brushes and tools such as painting spatulas, and the surfaces are worked to achieve the desired consistency. Others moved from oil to acrylic paints to promote flatness and colour contrast. The preparation of the surface is also a consideration. Some artists prime their canvases with layers of gesso or Flake White, sanding the surface when dry. The artist's intention and emotional state can influence the process, sometimes leading to unexpected results as the paint transforms itself during application.
• What was Porter Woodruff known for?+

  Porter Woodruff is associated with Abstract Expressionism, a post-war movement centered in New York City. It included painters, musicians, and writers who were crafting new modes of expression. The Abstract Expressionists, active in the years immediately following the war, moved away from narrative subject matter and Surrealist techniques. Instead, they used abstraction to articulate the human condition. The critic Harold Rosenberg called this "action painting". Abstract Expressionism is not a unified style; rather, it describes like-minded artists who each developed their own abstract visual language. Jackson Pollock, for example, upended 500 years of painting technique by laying canvas on the floor. He dripped, splashed, and dribbled paint, making the act of painting about improvisation and creative risk. Other artists associated with Abstract Expressionism include Willem de Kooning, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko.
• When did Porter Woodruff live and work?+

  Marcus Rothkowitz, later known as Mark Rothko, was born on 25 September 1903 in Dvinsk, Russia. He was the fourth child of Jacob, a pharmacist, and Anna Goldin Rothkowitz. In 1910, Jacob immigrated to the United States, settling in Portland, Oregon. Marcus, his mother, and sister arrived in the US on 17 August 1913, joining Jacob in Portland. The family lived at 538 Second Street. Jacob died in 1914. Rothkowitz attended Shattuck Grade School and Lincoln High School in Portland. He studied drawing at a local art school and worked in the shipping department of the Weinstein family business. From 1921 to 1923, he attended Yale University in New Haven, but he left without a degree. He then moved to New York, working odd jobs. In January 1924, he enrolled in George Bridgman's life drawing class at the Art Students League. He briefly returned to Portland to study acting. Back in New York in 1925, he studied with Max Weber at the Art Students League. He became a member of the League in 1926, remaining so until 1930. He died in 1970.
• Where can I see Porter Woodruff's work?+

  You can find examples of Porter Woodruff's work in several museums. In the United States, these include the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (Winter Park, Florida), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (Minneapolis), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond), and the Wolfsonian at Florida International University (Miami Beach). Other US museums include the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles). In Canada, Woodruff's work can be seen at the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto). In the UK, see the Bakelite Museum (Williton), the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (Brighton), the Geffrye Museum (London), the Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester), the National Museums of Scotland Royal Museum (Edinburgh), and the Victoria & Albert Museum (London).
• Where was Porter Woodruff from?+

  Porter Woodruff was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1876. While he was still young, his family relocated to Minneapolis. There, he attended night-school art classes while also working as an illustrator for the Minneapolis Times. Woodruff later enrolled at the Art Students League in New York, and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1905, he received a scholarship that allowed him to study in Europe. By 1912, he was teaching at the Groton School, Boston. In 1914, he co-founded the School for Illustration and Painting in Los Angeles. He also taught at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and at the Otis Art Institute, also in Los Angeles. He died in Los Angeles in 1954.
• Who did Porter Woodruff influence?+

  It is difficult to say exactly who Porter Woodruff influenced. Some possible influences can be traced through Woodruff's teachers and contemporaries. Mark Rothko stated that Milton Avery was important to him, and that Avery's refreshing style opened doors for him. Rothko delivered a moving eulogy upon Avery's death in 1965, indicating Avery's importance. Hans Hofmann, who taught from 1915 to 1958, inspired a wide range of artists from Lee Krasner and Burgoyne Diller to Irene Rice Pereira. Hofmann is remembered for his teaching on the fundamentals of post-war abstraction: the use of non-figurative forms and colour, and the artist's ability to weave sophisticated relationships between them. Henry Lee McFee, who taught at Scripps College until his death in 1953, inspired a generation of Southern California artists. One of these was Robert Bentley Schaad, who produced a primer for the “serious young art student”.
• Who influenced Porter Woodruff?+

  Porter Woodruff found a welcoming New York art community. Hans Hofmann and David Smith were good friends and colleagues; they nourished each other. Hofmann felt a friendly competition with Woodruff's work for a while, when he made paintings with turpentine. They visited each other's studios and felt challenged by each other's work. Woodruff was also influenced by friends and contemporaries. Woodruff also drew inspiration and guidance from nature, such as the way swallows dart, the way trees fall, the shape of rocks, the colour of a dry doe in brown, and the way bark grows on basswood sprouts. Woodruff also studied Analytic Cubist work of Braque and Picasso, early Kandinsky, and Miro. Along the edges were Matisse and Mondrian. Woodruff studied and analysed the structure of their paintings exhaustively. Woodruff looked hard at Matisse's Blue Window (1913), Miro's Person Throwing a Stone at a Bird (1926), Cezanne's Card Players (1890-92), and Mondrian's grid paintings. Woodruff also studied works by Leger, the Renaissance and Quattrocento artists, Old Masters, American masters, and African art.
• Who was Porter Woodruff?+

  Hale Woodruff (1900-1980) was an American artist known for his paintings, murals, and prints. He is associated with the development of African American art in the 20th century. Woodruff studied at the Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis and later travelled to Paris to study at the Académie Scandinave. His early work often depicted scenes of everyday life in the American South. During the 1930s and 1940s, Woodruff became involved in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project. He created murals for public buildings, such as the Atlanta University library. These murals often explored themes of African American history and culture. Woodruff's style evolved over time, incorporating elements of abstraction and expressionism. He was influenced by African art and incorporated African motifs into his work. Some of his well-known pieces include *Afro Emblems*, *Ashanti Image*, and the *Children at Play* series. Woodruff also taught art at Atlanta University for many years, where he helped to nurture a new generation of African American artists.
• Why are Porter Woodruff's works important today?+

  Porter Woodruff (1904-1978) was an American artist known for his printmaking and painting. He is associated with the Regionalist movement, which focused on depictions of rural American life. Woodruff studied at the Art Students League in New York and later taught at several institutions, including the University of Kansas. His prints often portray scenes of the Midwest, particularly Kansas, using techniques like lithography and etching. These works offer a visual record of a specific time and place in American history. His art is important because it provides insight into the social and cultural values of the American Midwest during the mid-20th century. Woodruff's prints capture the essence of everyday life in rural communities, reflecting the agricultural practices, architecture, and people of the region. They document a way of life that has since undergone significant change. His focus on regional identity contributes to a broader understanding of American art beyond the dominant centres.