<Pat Steir, known for her colorful, cascading “Waterfall” paintings, dies at 87. — Art News
arrow_back Back to all stories
candle obituary calendar_today Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Pat Steir, known for her colorful, cascading “Waterfall” paintings, dies at 87.

Pat Steir, the influential abstract painter celebrated for her large-scale "Waterfall" works created by pouring paint down the canvas, has died at the age of 87. Her death was confirmed by family and her gallery, Hauser & Wirth.

Steir's death marks the loss of a major figure in contemporary abstraction. Her distinctive, process-driven technique and exploration of chance and control left a significant mark on painting, influencing generations of artists and securing her a lasting place in the canon of late 20th and early 21st-century art.