Untitled

Untitled

Lucas Samaras

1981

pastel

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This is a close-up portrait of a face with wild, clashing colors. The skin is split into jagged patches—bright green on the left cheek, deep red on the right, and a mix of blue and yellow in the middle. The eyes are dark and steady, but the rest of the face looks like it’s melting or breaking apart. The background is a pale, smudged gray. The artist used pastels on black paper, which makes the colors pop even more. The face isn’t realistic—it’s more like a puzzle or a mask. If you like this style, check out pastel techniques next.

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