In the Room: 60 Years on The Front Lines of American History

Rising to prominence in the late 1970s as a leading figure in the 'New Image' movement, Sultan reimagined the traditional still-life genre by breaking down his subjects into bold, essential forms and constructing paintings from the same materials used to build the spaces they occupy.His signature combinations of enamel, roofing tar, aluminum, linoleum, and spackle, along with processes like gouging, sanding, and buffing, create works that feel at once monumental and meticulously refined.The result is a compelling tension: Sultan s flowers are instantly recognizable, yet their large-scale silhouettes and heavy, abstracted surfaces challenge the expectation of fragility often associated with botanical imagery.Showcasing the full range of Sultan s artistic practice including his paintings, extensive printmaking, and works on paper this book presents a vivid survey of his career from the 1970s to today.Featured subjects include poppies, mimosas, tulips, camellias, and lantern flowers, unde