Clyfford E. Still  克萊福特?斯蒂爾

 

 2011 Rank:11        Auction Revenue:US$101.55 million

2010 Rank:N/A      Auction Revenue:N/A

Clyfford E. Still (1904-1980), born in Grandin, North Dakota, was a U.S. painter and a leading figure of Abstract Expressionism. Known as one of the pioneering "color field" painters, Still executed his non-objective works by arranging various irregular colors in different formations. Still's first solo show was held at the San Francisco Museum of Art in 1943.

In the 1950s, the artist showed great dislike towards art businessmen and critics, and secluded himself away from the market. It was only after his death in 1980 that people got to know he had produced and retained more than 2,000 pieces of works. Denver, Colorado was granted to house Still's precious treasures, and unveiled the Clifford Still Museum in November 2011 to present the collection hidden for so long.

Still's "1949-A-No. 1 (1949) "(236.2cm x 200.7cm) fetched US$55 million at Sotheby's New York on Nov. 9, 2011, US$15 million more than its pre-sale estimate, according to Artprice. The oil on canvas shows white splashes over a mixture of black and red. Four works by Still were sold last year to help raise funds for the new Clyfford Still Museum. They tallied a total amount of US$101.55 million, pushing the artist to the 11th spot on the annual global artist rankings by auction revenue.