Milton Wilson; Abstract expressionist

[Hyfler/Rosner]

"Although he was married once and had three children, Wilson
was gay -- openly gay at a time when homosexuality was not
widely accepted. He was also charismatic, a wit who could
turn an innocuous word like "fabulous" into a melody. "

Abstract expressionist painter Milton Wilson dies at 81
Friends and fellow artists recall the Portlander's
consistency of artistic vision, exuberance and charisma
Thursday, June 10, 2004
D.K. ROW

http://www.pulliamdeffenbaugh.com/Artwork-Detail.cfm?ArtistsID=181&NewID=5512
Milton Wilson, one of Portland's best abstract painters and
a vivid art world personality, died Sunday at Providence
Medical Center of complications from pneumonia. He was 81.

An Oregon native, Wilson served in the U.S. Army during
World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart. After the war,
he studied at the Museum Art School, now the Pacific
Northwest College of Art, embracing an exuberant abstract
expressionist style that he continued to develop throughout
his life.

The athletic, boundary-pushing dynamism of abstract
expressionism was perfectly suited to Wilson's protean
talent, and for a time he was considered one of the region's
best painters, landing a solo show at the Portland Art
Museum in 1973 and taking part in a famous 1974 exhibit,
"Art of the Pacific Northwest" at the Smithsonian
Institution.

Like his painting, Wilson was a strong and authentic
character. He rarely held his tongue or checked an opinion,
even a negative one.

"He was constantly true to his vision," said friend Susie
Stevenson. "He never changed his ideas about what was right,
even if it hurt him."

Although he was married once and had three children, Wilson
was gay -- openly gay at a time when homosexuality was not
widely accepted. He was also charismatic, a wit who could
turn an innocuous word like "fabulous" into a melody.

"He was in the tradition of Truman Capote," said Tom Cramer,
44, a Portland artist who was deeply influenced by Wilson's
painting and spirit. "He was fearless in his life and his
work. . . . I can think of no better artist of his
generation around here."

For much of his life, Wilson was poor, but he always had
high style. He never owned a car, preferring to ride his
bike. He threw splendid parties, was an accomplished
ballroom dancer and a fine cook, and had a huge appetite for
reading.

In the mid- '60s, Wilson moved to San Francisco, where he
lived for more than a decade. Although he returned to
Portland in the late '70s, Wilson never quite reached his
previous heights of popularity here. The move to San
Francisco and the art world's shift away from abstract
expressionism in the '60s seemed to push Wilson into the
background.

Still, Wilson never stopped painting. Last year, his
Portland dealer, the Pulliam Deffenbaugh Gallery, exhibited
more than two dozen works from his art of the past 30 years.
The show's movement, color and painterly virtuosity was a
fitting testament to Wilson's restless talent and will to
create.

His work is represented in the collections of Portland Art
Museum, the University of Oregon Art Museum, Yale
University, the Oakland Art Museum and numerous private
collections in the United States and Europe.

Wilson is survived by his former wife, Marial Wilson of
Forest Grove; daughters, Maldon, of San Francisco and
Rachael of Portland; and son, Patterson of Portland.

Wilson's family says there will be no service. Remembrances
are suggested to the Cascade AIDS Project, the American Lung
Association or the Sisters of the Road Cafe.