Untitled
1984
charcoal
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
1984
charcoal
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
This painting shows a big, rough shape floating above a cracked, rocky ground. The top part looks like a giant, blurry face made of dark and light colors—almost like a mask. Below, the ground is covered in tiny dots and sharp lines, with a wooden board hanging halfway down. The artist used real strings and layers of paint to build the texture. The face isn’t clear, but the mix of rough and smooth makes it feel heavy and mysterious. Look up Anselm Kiefer to see how he uses materials like this in other works.