Jules Olitski  (American, 1922-2007) 

Jules Olitski (American, 1922–2007) was a painter and sculptor, born in Snovsk, Russia (currently Shchors, Ukraine). In 1923, he moved with his mother to New York City, NY, where he developed an interest in drawing at a young age and had the opportunity to view and study art frequently. While studying in Paris between 1949 and 1951, he was exposed to works by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), Georges Braque (French, 1882–1963), and Jean Dubuffet (French, 1901–1985), among others, which further inspired his interest in the arts.

After his first solo exhibition in Paris, he returned to New York City in 1951. Until 1955, Olitski studied philosophy and art education at New York University. At this time, he began painting monochromatic Abstract works. He experimented with different methods of applying pigments to canvases by using sponges and brushes and by pouring or spraying paint directly to the surface. These techniques made Olitski a prominent figure in the color field painting style. In 1969, Olitski became the first living artist to be featured in a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. His works are included in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, among many others.