Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a charcoal drawing by Gene Davis. It dates from 1971 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1971, this paper drawing by Gene Davis merges colored pencil with charcoal. The work consists of a network of thin, irregular lines rendered in red, blue, green and black across a white surface. Though Davis is primarily known for large-scale stripe paintings, this piece translates his interest in linear color relationships into a more intimate, hand‑drawn format.
Technique & Style
The lines are not uniform; their slight tremor suggests a rapid, gestural execution rather than a meticulously planned composition.
The artist employed colored pencils to lay down slender, wavering strokes, while charcoal adds depth and contrast. The lines are not uniform; their slight tremor suggests a rapid, gestural execution rather than a meticulously planned composition. This approach yields a sense of immediacy, allowing the juxtaposition of hues to generate visual vibration without the flat uniformity typical of his canvas works.
History & Provenance
The drawing entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art shortly after its creation, becoming part of the institution’s holdings of mid‑twentieth‑century American abstraction. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s interest in documenting the broader range of Davis’s practice beyond his signature painted stripes.
Context
During the early 1970s, Davis was a central figure in Color Field painting, a movement emphasizing large expanses of pure color. This paper work extends that inquiry by exploring how color behaves when confined to narrow, hand‑drawn marks. It also aligns with contemporary experiments in drawing that sought to blur the boundaries between sketch and finished artwork.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gene Davis (August 22, 1920 – April 6, 1985) was an American Color Field painter known especially for his paintings of vertical stripes of color.
