Vivian Springford

Vivian Springford (1913–2003) was an American painter known for her vibrant, organic abstractions influenced by Chinese calligraphy and stain painting techniques. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she gained recognition in the mid-20th century as part of the New York School. Her work was rediscovered in the late 20th century, leading to major exhibitions at institutions such as the Denver Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Springford’s large-scale, luminous paintings explored the interaction of color and fluid forms, often evoking natural and cosmic themes. Although she was active in the 1950s and ’60s, she faded from the art scene for several decades before a resurgence of interest in the 1990s. Her inclusion in the 2021 exhibition *Vivian Springford: The Flowing Gesture* at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery further cemented her legacy. Her work remains influential in contemporary discussions of Abstract Expressionism and Color Field painting. Today, she is recognized as a pioneering female voice in postwar American abstraction.