Artwork
Waste Painting #9, The Crown Jewels
Waste Painting #9, The Crown Jewels is a print by Peter Saville. It dates from 2003 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Peter Saville’s 2003 print titled *Waste Painting #9, The Crown Jewels* consists of a dense network of vivid lines set against a dark field. The composition is non‑representational, with intersecting strands of red, blue, yellow and white that weave together in an apparently spontaneous manner.
Subject & Meaning
The work does not depict recognizable objects; instead it explores the visual impact of color and line in a chaotic arrangement. The title suggests a connection to discarded materials, implying that the piece may reference the artist’s use of surplus or residual media.
Technique & Style
Executed as a print, the image employs bright, neon‑like hues that stand out sharply from the muted background. The overlapping strokes create a sense of depth and motion, while the tangled configuration resists a clear directional reading, emphasizing abstraction over formal order.
History & Provenance
Created in 2003, the piece belongs to Saville’s series of “Waste Paintings,” a body of work that investigates the aesthetic possibilities of leftover pigments. Details of its exhibition history or ownership are not widely documented.
Context
Saville’s practice often engages with graphic design and visual culture, and this print reflects his interest in merging fine‑art concerns with the language of commercial signage, as suggested by the luminous, sign‑like quality of the lines.
Artist & collection
Artist
Peter Saville’s print series Waste Painting covers blank canvases with splashes of color, a nod to the 1980s British art scene when he started.
