Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an unspecified painting by the Contemporary Abstract artist Jennifer Bartlett. It dates from 1976 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1976, this work consists of 987 enamel‑on‑steel plates assembled into a regular grid.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1976, this work consists of 987 enamel‑on‑steel plates assembled into a regular grid. The composition occupies a low wall in a spacious, white gallery, presenting a field of small, muted canvases that together form an expansive abstract surface. The piece is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.
Subject & Meaning
Each individual plate contains a modest, often ambiguous image, ranging from simple shapes to faintly suggested objects, rendered in subdued tones of gray, blue and green. The cumulative effect is one of quiet contemplation, inviting viewers to consider the relationship between the discrete units and the larger visual field.
Technique & Style
Bartlett employed enamel paint applied directly onto steel panels, a material choice that ensures uniform surface quality and durability. The systematic arrangement of the plates reflects a conceptual approach, while the hand‑applied enamel retains a painterly texture associated with Neo‑Expressionist practices.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the work entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it has been displayed in various exhibitions exploring post‑minimalist abstraction and the intersection of conceptual and expressive strategies in late‑20th‑century American art.
Context
The piece emerges from a period when artists were interrogating the boundaries between serial processes and personal expression. Bartlett’s grid aligns with contemporaneous investigations into repetition, while her use of color and material situates the work within broader dialogues about painting’s materiality.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jennifer Bartlett (née Losch; March 14, 1941 – July 25, 2022) was an American artist and novelist.
