Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Art Brut artist Raúl Lozza. It dates from 1946 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1946, this work by Argentine artist Raúl Lozza combines oil, alkyd, pine resin, wax and acrylic applied to a wooden panel supported by metal wire. The piece consists of five flat, colored forms arranged in a loose circular composition, each tilted at a different angle and linked by thin wires, giving the impression of suspended, weightless objects.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a set of geometric shapes rendered in muted, earth‑tone hues, greens, reds, browns and tans, that echo natural materials such as dried foliage or baked clay. By arranging the forms in a floating circle, Lozza explores the tension between interior space and external void, inviting viewers to consider perception as a balance of form and emptiness.
Technique & Style
Lozza employed a mixed‑media approach, integrating traditional oil painting with synthetic alkyds, resin, wax and acrylic, all adhered to a wooden substrate and reinforced with metal wire. The surface is intentionally rough, allowing the paint layers and underlying wood to remain visible, while the wire connections emphasize the work’s three‑dimensionality despite its classification as a painting.
History & Provenance
The artwork entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it is catalogued as part of MoMA’s holdings of mid‑twentieth‑century avant‑garde pieces. Its acquisition reflects the institution’s interest in Latin American contributions to abstract and concrete art during the post‑war period.
Context
Lozza was a founding member of the Asociación Arte Concreto‑Invención and later established the Perceptivist group, both pivotal in advancing geometric abstraction in Argentina. Though often linked to the concrete art movement, this piece is also associated with the broader art brut tendency, underscoring Lozza’s experimental use of unconventional materials and his challenge to conventional painting conventions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Elbio Raúl Lozza (October 27, 1911 – January 27, 2008) was an Argentine painter, draughtsman, designer, journalist, and theorist who was part of the concrete art movement.
