Untitled

Untitled

Julian Schnabel

1982

paint

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This painting looks messy on purpose. Thick, uneven brushstrokes cover the whole thing in gray, brown, and yellow. Some shapes peek through—like a box, a chair, or maybe a face—but they’re blurred or half-hidden. The paint is piled high in spots, almost like it was slapped on. The artist used a lot of white paper underneath, letting it show through in places. This makes the colors look brighter where they’re thickest. It’s not a clear picture of anything—just rough shapes and colors. Look up impasto to see how artists use thick paint like this.

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