Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Leon Polk Smith. It dates from 1961 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Leon Polk Smith's Untitled (1961) is a gouache drawing on a composite of torn and pasted paper, characterized by its abstract simplicity. The work features a dark blue background juxtaposed with a curved, jagged white line, composed of individually attached paper fragments.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is purely abstract, with the contrast between the uniform dark blue field and the irregular, curved white line generating a dynamic interplay of stability and movement.
Technique & Style
Smith employed a mixed technique, combining gouache with a collage element: hand-torn paper pieces, pasted to form a jagged yet cohesive white curve, set against a uniformly painted dark blue ground.
History & Provenance
Created in 1961, the work is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Leon Polk Smith (1906–1996) was an American painter. His geometrically oriented abstract paintings were influenced by Piet Mondrian and he is a follower of the hard-edge school. His best-known paintings constitute…
