Untitled

Untitled

A.R. Penck

1982

ink

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This image is all sharp white lines and shapes on a black background. The forms look like tangled figures or maybe broken letters—some stick out like arms, others twist into knots. There’s no clear focus; everything feels jumbled but intentional, like a puzzle without a picture. The artist used a woodcut method, where ink is carved into wood and pressed onto paper. That’s why the lines are so bold and the background so flat. Check out more about the technique: woodcut to see how artists carve and print like this.

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