Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Richard Tuttle. It dates from 1977 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1977, this work consists of pencil and gouache applied to a single sheet of notebook paper.
About this work
Overview
The piece exemplifies a restrained approach to drawing, focusing attention on the relationship between mark, colour and void.
Created in 1977, this work consists of pencil and gouache applied to a single sheet of notebook paper. The composition is sparse, featuring a handful of small, brightly colored triangles positioned near the centre of the page, while the surrounding surface remains largely empty. The piece exemplifies a restrained approach to drawing, focusing attention on the relationship between mark, colour and void.
Subject & Meaning
The central elements are simple geometric triangles rendered in vivid reds, blues, greens and yellows, suggesting fragments of cut paper adhered to the surface. Their placement within an otherwise blank field invites contemplation of minimal intervention and the tension between presence and absence, encouraging viewers to consider how modest gestures can generate visual interest without overt narrative.
Technique & Style
Tuttle employs pencil for subtle line work along the left margin and gouache for the opaque, saturated triangles. Gouache’s thick, water‑based consistency allows the colours to stand out sharply against the paper’s pale, slightly yellowed tone. The overall aesthetic aligns with post‑minimalist tendencies toward reduction, everyday materials, and an emphasis on the physical qualities of the medium itself.
History & Provenance
The drawing forms part of Richard Tuttle’s broader practice in the late 1970s, a period marked by investigations of scale and the dematerialization of form across drawing, sculpture and installation. Though the work remains untitled, it has been documented in several exhibitions of Tuttle’s early output, illustrating his ongoing interest in modest, intimate compositions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Richard Dean Tuttle (born July 12, 1941) is an American postminimalist artist known for his small, casual, subtle, intimate works.
