Sue Fuller, originally from Pittsburgh, relocated to Manhattan in the late 1930s following her studies at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and private training with Ernest Thorn and Hans Hoffman in Gloucester, MA. In 1943, she discovered Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17, then situated at the New School for Social Research. Upon her arrival, Fuller was energized by the workshop’s fertile and avant-garde atmosphere, becoming deeply involved in the studio’s mission to explore new forms of creative expression through graphic arts.

The egalitarian nature of Atelier 17 meant that Fuller worked alongside esteemed artists such as Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, Perle Fine, Alice Trumbull Mason, Roberto Matta, Louise Bourgeois, and Jacques Lipchitz. These interactions played a pivotal role in solidifying Fuller’s own distinctive style.

The Prancing Star stands as a powerhouse of modern design and action painting. Utilizing watercolor, Fuller confidently applies zones of cool and warm color washes, creating a sensitively structured backdrop for her calligraphic, bold black lines to dance and glimmer. Fuller's vast intelligence unites with feelings of freedom in the moments needed to create this painting, which leaves one greatly impressed, inspired, and perhaps even a tad envious.