Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Abstract Expressionist artist Philip Guston. It dates from 1962 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, a 1962 oil painting by Philip Guston, is characterized by its intentionally chaotic appearance. The work features three amorphous, shadowy figures clustered together, rendered in predominantly gray, black, and muted pink and orange hues.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts three blob-like figures with indistinct features, notable for their lack of clear facial details, instead having dark, eye-like voids. Their rough, uneven forms convey a sense of anonymity and emotional opacity.
Technique & Style
Guston employed thick, uneven brushstrokes, with visible evidence of scraping and scratching in parts of the canvas, contributing to the work's textured, almost three-dimensional quality.
History & Provenance
Created in 1962, the painting is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection. Guston's signature is discreetly located in one corner, with no other discernible markings or inscriptions on the piece.
Context
This work aligns with the principles of impasto, a technique emphasizing thickly applied paint to achieve a raised, tactile surface, which Guston utilizes to enhance the expressive and emotional impact of the painting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Philip Guston was a Canadian and American painter, printmaker, muralist and draftsman.
