Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Neo Expressionist artist Glenn Ligon. It dates from 1990 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, a 1990 oil on wood painting by Glenn Ligon, is a text-based work exploring themes of identity and social narrative through repetition and typography.
Subject & Meaning
The painting features the repeated phrase 'I REMEMBER THE VERY DAY THAT I BECAME COLORED', drawn from 20th-century literature, to reflect on the personal and broader implications of racial identity.
Technique & Style
Characterized by a bold, black font on a light background, the vertically oriented grid with overlapping lines creates a rhythmic emphasis on the text, aligning with Neo-Expressionist tendencies.
History & Provenance
Created in 1990, the work is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection, exemplifying Ligon's conceptual practice that intersects literature, language, and visual art.
Context
This piece is contextualized within a broader artistic movement exploring the intersection of language and visual art, shared by other conceptual artists who prioritize text as a primary compositional element.
Artist & collection
Artist
Glenn Ligon (born 1960, pronounced Lie-gōne) is an American conceptual artist whose work explores race, language, desire, sexuality, and identity.
