1994
charcoal
paper
From the collection of Museum of Modern Art
Dominant colour
Untitled is a 1994 charcoal by Martin Puryear, held at Museum of Modern Art.
This painting shows two dark charcoal legs standing apart on a light background. The legs are thick and solid, with no face or body visible. The charcoal is smudged in places, making the skin look rough and textured. The artist used a simple setup—just legs and a plain background—to focus on shape and shadow. The way the charcoal is layered gives the legs a three-dimensional feel. Try looking up scumbling to see how artists create texture like this.
Martin L. Puryear is an American artist known for his devotion to traditional craft. Working in a variety of media, but primarily wood, his reductive technique and meditative approach challenge the physical and poetic…
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
