William Lester

Lifelong Texan William Lester’s paintings and prints responded to the colors and textures of the southwestern landscape. After participating in a group exhibition in Dallas in 1932, Lester became associated with the Dallas Nine, a group of expressionist, regionalist painters who sought to expand the boundaries of landscape painting. Lester’s broad brushstrokes and bold use of color push the limits of technical formalism, seeking emotional depth in Texas or Oklahoma landscapes and domestic scenes. In the 1950s—after relocating to Austin to teach at the University of Texas, where he remained through the 1970s—he became inspired by his travels in Mexico and Central America, where he was exposed to artist Rufino Tamayo. Rather than simply rendering landscapes, Lester sought to challenge the limits of paint and painting, and his work often veered into the realm of abstraction.