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Clayton Sumner Price
(1874-1950)
Clayton Price was born in Bedford, Iowa, on May 11, 1874 to a farm family of twelve children. The family moved to Wyoming and then to Canada, looking for better land. He became an accomplished carpenter and expert horseman. At age 21, he staked his own homesteading claim in Wyoming. But, not wanting to be tied down, he gave the claim to his family and became a roving cowhand. Encouraged by his mother, he also sketched, primarily animals.
In 1905, at age 32, he went to St. Louis and enrolled in the St. Louis School of the Fine Arts, his only formal training. He was frequently frustrated by the school's emphasis on conveying realistic images, but found the technical skills he gained valuable. He met and received encouragement from Charlie Russell, the famous western painter, and spent much time in the museums and libraries of St. Louis.
Following this period, he returned to his family briefly, worked as a magazine illustrator for "Pacific Monthly," and held a variety of odd jobs. In 1915, when he was 41, he knew that, for him, realistic style led nowhere, and he almost gave up painting. However, seeing abstract work that year at the Panama Pacific Exposition and beginning a friendship with European expressionist Gottardo Piazzoni changed his life.
In 1920, Price moved to Monterey, California, and settled down to paint full time while supporting himself as a frame maker and sardine packer. He was influenced by the style of Cezanne. He also became committed to color as emotional expression. In 1929, Price moved to Portland, Oregon, his last move. The move was motivated by his desire to live quietly and freely from the distractions of the busy Monterey area. He lived with few possessions and painted primarily from memory.
Although he did not seek recognition, it came in the 1940s when the Portland Art Museum gave him a one-man show in 1942, and in 1945 and 1946, when he was in major exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He also had one-person shows in New York galleries, and museums around the country began to acquire his work. In the 1940s, his work also became much more personal and meditative with religious undertones. He died in his home in Portland on May 1, 1950.
Exhibited: SFAA, 1916-24; Galerie Beaux Arts (SF), 1925 (solo), 1927; Berkeley League of Fine Arts, 1927 (solo); De Young Museum, 1939; Portland (OR) Museum, 1942, 1949, 1951, 1976 (solos); MOMA, 1943, 1946; Detroit Institute of Arts, 1944; MOMA (NYC), 1945, 1946; Valentine Gallery (NYC), 1945; AIC, 1947; Reed College (OR), 1948 (solo); Willard Gallery (NYV), 1949 (solo); Downtown Gallery (NYC), 1958 (solo); Fine Arts Patrons of Newport Harbor, 1967; SFMA, 1976; Oakland Museum, 1981; St. Mary's College (Moraga, CA), 1998 (solo).
Works Held: Orange County Museum; Portland Museum; Oakland Museum; LACMA; MM.
Source:
Hughes, Edan M. Artists In California 1786-1940. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Sacramento: Crocker, Art Museum, 2002. N. pag. 2 vols. Print.
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