Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Alejandro Puente. It dates from 1967 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
The title is handwritten in the corner as *"The primaries"*—likely a nod to the three black cubes (maybe standing in for black, white, and gray).
This drawing shows five simple cubes floating in space. Three are black, two are white, and they’re all outlined in faint pencil lines. The background is a light tan paper, and the whole thing looks like a sketch with just a little color.
The title is handwritten in the corner as *"The primaries"*—likely a nod to the three black cubes (maybe standing in for black, white, and gray). The artist signed it "Alejandro Puente 1967."
Next, check out gouache to see how this water-based paint works differently from watercolor.
Overview
Untitled, a 1967 drawing by Alejandro Puente, is a gouache and pencil work on light tan paper, featuring five simple geometric forms suspended in space.
Subject & Meaning
The composition consists of five cubes, with three rendered in black gouache and two in white, all outlined in faint pencil. The handwritten title, 'The primaries', suggests an interpretation where the black cubes might symbolize a primary color concept, potentially incorporating the implied presence of white (as in primary colors of light) and the gray of the paper background.
Technique & Style
Puente employed gouache for solid color application and pencil for subtle outlining, leveraging the opaque, OPAQUE nature of gouache to create distinct, flat forms against the neutral tan background, resulting in a restrained, sketch-like appearance.
History & Provenance
Created in 1967 and signed 'Alejandro Puente 1967', the work is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alejandro Puente is a Mexican actor, writer and director. He is best known in his native country on stage for his role of Todd Anderson in the Mexican play adaptation Dead Poets Society, a play starring Alfonso Herrera.…
