Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor drawing by Alfonso Ossorio. It dates from 1951 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, a 1951 drawing by Alfonso Ossorio, combines watercolor, wax, and ink on paper to create a densely layered, non-representational work with intermittent figurative elements.
Subject & Meaning
Beneath its abstract expressionist chaos, the piece reveals scattered, expressive faces conveying emotions of sadness and disorientation, set amidst an indecipherable tangle of natural and ambiguous forms.
Technique & Style
Ossorio's mixed media approach generates a textured, dynamic visual plane, with watercolor, wax, and ink layered to produce a busy, high-contrast composition that balances spontaneity with focal intensity around the central faces.
History & Provenance
Created during Ossorio's engagement with abstract expressionism, the work is now part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection, reflecting the artist's place within the movement despite his distinctive incorporation of figurative hints.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alfonso Angel Yangco Ossorio (August 2, 1916 – December 5, 1990) was a Filipino American abstract expressionist artist who was born in Manila in 1916 to wealthy Filipino parents from the province of Negros Occidental.
