Motherwell was heavily inspired by his meeting and subsequent friendships with
Surrealist artists Duchamp and Ernst, drawing heavily on their
automatism concept that allows the unconscious mind to come forth and create while free of rational control.
« Most painting in the European tradition was painting the mask. Modern art rejected all that. Our subject matter was the person behind the mask. »
– Robert Motherwell
Perhaps best known for his Elegy to the Spanish Republic series - 150 separate works depicting a variety of black forms upon a white background - Motherwell was an intuitive painter known for his simple shapes and
gestural brushstrokes and notably commented
“Painting is a medium in which the mind can actualize itself; it is a medium of Read More Motherwell was heavily inspired by his meeting and subsequent friendships with
Surrealist artists Duchamp and Ernst, drawing heavily on their
automatism concept that allows the unconscious mind to come forth and create while free of rational control.
« Most painting in the European tradition was painting the mask. Modern art rejected all that. Our subject matter was the person behind the mask. »
– Robert Motherwell
Perhaps best known for his Elegy to the Spanish Republic series - 150 separate works depicting a variety of black forms upon a white background - Motherwell was an intuitive painter known for his simple shapes and
gestural brushstrokes and notably commented
“Painting is a medium in which the mind can actualize itself; it is a medium of thought...[it] tends to become its own content”. Read Less 
