John Stephan
American, 1906 - 1994
John Stephan (1906-1995) dedicated the final three decades of his artistic career exclusively to disc paintings, creating nearly square compositions characterized by central monochrome circles outlined by contrasting bands of colors. These artworks, just slightly taller than their width, achieve a dynamic interplay, with the central orb appearing to float or recede, emitting pulsating energy or captivating the viewer's gaze. Stephan discovered endless visual poetry within the fixed parameters of this geometric distribution, expertly utilizing subtly mixed colors.
The monumental accomplishment of Stephan's disc paintings is grounded in a lifetime of artistic achievements. Initially painting urban landscapes and contributing as a WPA artist in the 1930s, John Stephan truly blossomed as an artist post-World War II. A significant figure in the Abstract Expressionism movement, he exhibited at the Betty Parsons Gallery and maintained close associations with Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman.
Collaborating with poet and then-wife Ruth Stephan, he co-published The Tiger's Eye, an influential "little magazine" documenting the creative ferment of the period. The title, inspired by William Blake's "Tyger," reflected the editors' belief in the power of creative vision, exemplified by John Stephan's design for the cover featuring an abstracted eye. The publication showcased European and American Surrealists, members of the Latin American avant-garde, and emerging American Abstract Expressionists, such as Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Adolph Gottlieb, Stanley William Hayter, André Masson, Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Anne Ryan, Kay Sage, Kurt Seligmann, Rufino Tamayo, and Mark Tobey.
John Walter Stephan played a crucial role in the New York School of Abstract Expressionism. Born in Chicago, he studied art at the University of Illinois and the Art Institute of Chicago. His post-war relocation to New York City with his first wife, Ruth Walgreen, led to solo exhibitions at esteemed institutions. Stephan's artworks grace the collections of renowned institutions, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Cincinnati Art Museum, Yale University Art Gallery, Loyola University in Chicago, and numerous others.
The monumental accomplishment of Stephan's disc paintings is grounded in a lifetime of artistic achievements. Initially painting urban landscapes and contributing as a WPA artist in the 1930s, John Stephan truly blossomed as an artist post-World War II. A significant figure in the Abstract Expressionism movement, he exhibited at the Betty Parsons Gallery and maintained close associations with Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman.
Collaborating with poet and then-wife Ruth Stephan, he co-published The Tiger's Eye, an influential "little magazine" documenting the creative ferment of the period. The title, inspired by William Blake's "Tyger," reflected the editors' belief in the power of creative vision, exemplified by John Stephan's design for the cover featuring an abstracted eye. The publication showcased European and American Surrealists, members of the Latin American avant-garde, and emerging American Abstract Expressionists, such as Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Adolph Gottlieb, Stanley William Hayter, André Masson, Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, Anne Ryan, Kay Sage, Kurt Seligmann, Rufino Tamayo, and Mark Tobey.
John Walter Stephan played a crucial role in the New York School of Abstract Expressionism. Born in Chicago, he studied art at the University of Illinois and the Art Institute of Chicago. His post-war relocation to New York City with his first wife, Ruth Walgreen, led to solo exhibitions at esteemed institutions. Stephan's artworks grace the collections of renowned institutions, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Cincinnati Art Museum, Yale University Art Gallery, Loyola University in Chicago, and numerous others.
