Untitled
1981
gouache
paper
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
1981
gouache
paper
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
Untitled is a 1981 gouache by Ellen Phelan, held at Museum of Modern Art.
This painting is a big square of deep black with a faint, blurry gray shape near the center. The edges look uneven, like the paint or paper is worn. The border is a lighter, dusty color, almost brown, with some dark smudges along the bottom. The gray blur in the middle is the only thing breaking up the black—it’s soft and hard to make out. The whole thing feels quiet and still, like staring into a dark room with just a hint of light. If you like this kind of simple, dark work, look up gouache to see how artists use it.
Ellen Phelan (born 1943) is an American artist known especially as a painter of formalist abstractions, psychologically charged scenes enacted by dolls, and landscapes.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
