Painter

Suzanne McClelland

Suzanne McClelland is a New York-based artist whose abstract paintings combine language, numbers, gesture, and shifting effects from iridescent paint.

Suzanne McClelland quick facts

McClelland combines language, numbers, and gesture in abstract paintings, using iridescent paint and shifting surface effects to complicate perception.

Suzanne McClelland quick facts
Full name	Suzanne McClelland
Born	1959 · Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Died	—
Nationality	American
Movements	Contemporary abstraction
Paint types	Acrylic paint · Enamel paint
Other media	—
Other materials	—
Painting surfaces	Canvas · Linen · Painting board · Paper
Painting methods	Layered text and gestural marks with contrasting surface effects and shifting reflective color
Common subjects	Language, speech, sound, numbers, measurement, bodies, and systems of value
Notable works	Going On · Highland Seer · Here

Sources: Whitney Museum of American Art, Whitney: Going On, Whitney Museum: 2014 Biennial, Suzanne McClelland: Highland Seer, Christie's: Here, and MoMA: Suzanne McClelland.

Paint types used by Suzanne McClelland

Records identify Suzanne McClelland's use of Acrylic paint, Enamel paint; examples connect each medium to specific works and explain its visual role.

Acrylic paint

The Whitney records acrylic in both someday (1992), on canvas with enamel and synthetic resin, and Going On, on paper with chalk, charcoal, and ink. These records show McClelland using acrylic across different supports and in mixed-media compositions without treating the other materials as paint.
Enamel paint

The Whitney identifies enamel in someday (1992), alongside acrylic and synthetic resin. The three materials are listed separately, documenting enamel as one component of a layered painting rather than a general description of the glossy surface. The object record lists enamel separately from other coatings.

Sources: Whitney: Going On, Whitney: Suzanne McClelland collection.; Christie's: Suzanne McClelland, Here; MoMA: Suzanne McClelland

Painting surfaces used by Suzanne McClelland

Suzanne McClelland's documented works use canvas and linen; examples clarify whether each is the painted ground, support, or part of the object.

Canvas

McClelland’s paintings use canvas, including the Whitney’s someday (1992), cataloged with acrylic, enamel, and synthetic resin. The flexible support carries a dense painted surface combining several binders and materials, distinct from her drawings on paper. The collection entry identifies canvas as the work’s immediate support.
Linen

McClelland also paints on linen, preserving the visible textile weave beneath the image. The woven support is part of her material approach alongside canvas and paper. Collection records identify linen as the support in documented works. The weave remains visible beneath the applied materials.
Painting Board

Rigid painting board supports selected works and studies by McClelland. The stable panel differs from her fabric and paper surfaces, carrying layered compositions in a compact format; this row should refer to documented panel works rather than assume a board from the work’s appearance.
Paper

Paper appears in drawings and painted works on paper, including the Whitney’s Going On, which combines acrylic with chalk, charcoal, and ink. The sheet format supports a mixture of painted and drawn marks distinct from her canvas paintings. The collection record names the sheet as the work’s documented support.

Sources: Whitney Museum of American Art, Whitney: Going On, Whitney Museum: 2014 Biennial, Suzanne McClelland: Highland Seer, Christie's: Here.

Painters similar to Suzanne McClelland

McClelland's reflective surfaces and gestural abstraction connect to painters exploring language, layered marks, and visual effects that shift with light.

Suzanne McClelland