WILLIAM IVEY
(1919-1992)
"For Ivey, these paintings are mostly about the process of discovery while
painting them. He prefers that his work hang in surroundings, which allow
the viewer to relax and enjoy a one-on-one relationship, as removed from
the distraction of daily life as possible. Once the situation is set, one
will come to appreciate the time it takes to "see" the depth and magic of a
work by Ivey."
--John Braseth, Art Dealer
Born in Seattle in 1919, Ivey originally planned to become a lawyer, but an interest in drawing
led him to take classes at Cornish School in Seattle. Following service in World War II as a paratrooper,
Ivey studied at the California School of Fine Arts where he was strongly influenced by Clifford
Still, Mark Rothko, and emerging abstract expressionism. In 1948, Ivey returned to Seattle,
away from the West Coast art centers, where he had continued to paint in his own strikingly
individual style of abstract expressionism.
Represented by the Woodside Braseth Gallery since 1960, Ivey had major solo exhibitions in both
the United States and Europe. His work has been shown at the National Museum of Art in Osaka,
Japan and he has had a retrospective at the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle, Washington. His work can be
found in over 300 collections. He has received numerous awards including the Rockefeller
fellowship, the Ford Foundation Purchase Award, a grant from the National Foundation for the
Arts and Humanities.
