Untitled
1971
ink
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
1971
ink
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
Dominant colour
Untitled is a 1971 ink by Antoni Tàpies, depicting rain, held at Museum of Modern Art.
You see a rough, textured surface that looks like a wall worn by time, with dark marks, scratches, and bits of straw stuck in the layers. The colors are dull grays and browns, like something found in an old alley. This piece is not painted but made using print techniques—etching and collagraph—with real straw added to the printing plate. Tàpies often used everyday materials like sand, cloth, or straw to make art feel more physical and raw. He wanted people to feel the weight of memory and history in the texture. The Museum of Modern Art holds many of his works, where you can see how materials become meaning. (102 words)
