Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint painting by the Pop art artist Richard Pettibone. It dates from 1968 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1968, this synthetic polymer paint on canvas is one of Richard Pettibone’s early works. It belongs to The Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies his interest in reinterpreting contemporary art through reduction and repetition. The composition avoids traditional perspective, focusing instead on geometric abstraction and deliberate color contrasts.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents two abstract, interlocking forms on a brown field. One contains a red shape with a green semicircle; the other combines orange and blue in stacked arcs. No narrative or symbolic intent is evident. The work invites attention to formal relationships—color, shape, and edge—rather than external reference, aligning with minimalist concerns of the period.
Technique & Style
Pettibone applied flat, unmodulated hues using synthetic polymer paint, eliminating gradients or texture. Sharp black outlines define each color zone, creating clear boundaries. The canvas edges are irregularly cut, disrupting the frame’s conventional rectangle. This precision in execution contrasts with the apparent simplicity, emphasizing intentionality over spontaneity.
History & Provenance
The work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation. Pettibone, known for making small-scale copies of famous artworks, here departs from direct quotation to explore abstraction. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s interest in post-painterly abstraction and the reevaluation of artistic authorship during the late 1960s.
Context
Made during a period when artists were questioning painting’s conventions, this piece responds to movements like Color Field and Minimalism. While contemporaries explored scale and materiality, Pettibone focused on reduction and repetition. The work’s deliberate flatness and cut edges echo contemporaneous experiments in objecthood and the dematerialization of the art object.
Legacy
Though less known than his appropriations of famous paintings, this untitled work illustrates Pettibone’s consistent engagement with formal economy. Its presence in MoMA’s collection situates it within broader dialogues about abstraction and authorship. It remains a quiet example of how simplicity, when rigorously controlled, can challenge assumptions about artistic value.
Artist & collection
Artist
Richard Pettibone was an American artist. He was known for his appropriation art, a practice that involves replicating or reinterpreting existing artworks. He is best known for his meticulously crafted miniature copies…
