Untitled

Untitled

William Baziotes

1942

gouache

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This painting looks messy on purpose. A big white shape with a black outline stands in the middle, like a person with arms raised. Behind it, a green blob floats to the side, and the background is filled with rough lines and dark colors—reds, purples, and browns. The paint is thin in some spots and thick in others, almost like scribbles mixed with solid blocks. The artist didn’t try to make things look real. Instead, the shapes feel more like symbols or ideas than actual objects. The rough lines and uneven colors give it a raw, almost nervous energy. If you like this style, try looking up gouache to see how artists use it.

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