Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a wood painting by Daniel LaRue Johnson. It dates from 13 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, by Daniel LaRue Johnson, is a mixed‑media work classified as a painting and held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Executed on canvas with a pitch base, the piece incorporates a small assemblage of objects—a rusted mousetrap, a broken doll, a flexible tube, a button labeled “Freedom Now,” a hacksaw, and a piece of wood—embedded within the surface.
Subject & Meaning
The central cluster of everyday items, illuminated against an otherwise dark field, invites contemplation of themes such as vulnerability, resistance, and the paradox of liberty. The button’s inscription, juxtaposed with a broken toy and a trap, suggests a tension between promised freedom and the mechanisms that constrain or endanger it.
Technique & Style
Johnson applies a thick, black pitch to the canvas, then embeds the objects, allowing the paint to scrape and adhere around them, creating a rough, tactile surface. The faint glow of the assemblage contrasts with the matte background, emphasizing the three‑dimensionality of the work while retaining the visual language of painting.
History & Provenance
Created in 2013, Untitled entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings shortly after its completion, becoming part of the institution’s contemporary mixed‑media collection. The work has been displayed in exhibitions focusing on materiality and political commentary within modern art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Daniel LaRue Johnson (1938–2017) was an American artist, born in Los Angeles.
