Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an acrylic painting by the Conceptual Art artist Daniel Buren. It dates from 1970 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1970, this work consists of a large sheet of cotton fabric printed with alternating black and white vertical bands.
About this work
Overview
The piece functions as a painted object rather than a traditional canvas, inviting viewers to consider the surface as both material and concept.
Created in 1970, this work consists of a large sheet of cotton fabric printed with alternating black and white vertical bands. The artist has applied acrylic paint over the white stripes, altering the original pattern while leaving the black bands untouched. The piece functions as a painted object rather than a traditional canvas, inviting viewers to consider the surface as both material and concept.
Subject & Meaning
By covering the white sections of the striped fabric, the work draws attention to the conventions of display and the way visual information is organized. The intervention suggests that what is shown—or omitted—shapes perception, prompting a reflection on how institutional settings frame artistic experience. The alteration of a familiar pattern becomes a subtle critique of visual hierarchy.
Technique & Style
The artist employed acrylic paint directly onto pre‑printed cotton fabric, a material commonly associated with everyday use. The method emphasizes a systematic, repetitive approach, characteristic of the artist’s broader practice of using simple, modular elements. The contrast between the painted and unpainted stripes highlights the interplay of color, surface, and the physicality of the medium.
History & Provenance
The piece was produced by the French conceptual practitioner in the early 1970s, a period marked by heightened interest in idea‑based art. It entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of post‑minimal and conceptual works, reflecting the museum’s commitment to preserving experimental practices of that era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Daniel Buren (born 25 March 1938, in Boulogne-Billancourt) is a French conceptual artist, painter, and sculptor.
