Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Contemporary Abstract artist Shirley Jaffe. It dates from 1987 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1987, this untitled oil on canvas by Shirley Jaffe belongs to the Museum of Modern Art’s collection.
Created in 1987, this untitled oil on canvas by Shirley Jaffe belongs to the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. The composition is dominated by vivid, saturated hues arranged in large, geometric blocks. A central figure, rendered in orange and brown, leans forward, while a green spiral rests near its feet. The surrounding field consists of flat planes of blue, green, red and gray intersected by sharp, angular lines.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents an abstracted human form caught in a moment of motion, suggested by the figure’s bent posture. The juxtaposition of the dynamic pose against a static, planar background creates a tension between movement and stillness. The green spiral near the feet may function as a visual anchor, guiding the eye and hinting at a focal point within the otherwise fragmented space.
Technique & Style
Jaffe employs thick oil application to achieve bold, flat color fields, while the edges of shapes are defined by crisp, jagged lines. The overall effect recalls a childlike drawing, yet the controlled use of color and composition reflects a mature engagement with abstraction. The palette’s high contrast and the simplified, blocky forms emphasize surface over depth.
History & Provenance
The work entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings after its creation in the late 1980s, though details of its acquisition are not widely publicized. It remains part of MoMA’s permanent collection, representing a period when Jaffe explored more overtly gestural abstraction following earlier, more restrained paintings.
Context
During the 1980s, many American artists revisited abstract expressionist vocabularies, integrating vivid color and graphic elements. Jaffe’s untitled piece aligns with this trend, merging the energetic brushwork of earlier abstract expressionism with a newer emphasis on flat, decorative surfaces. The painting reflects broader dialogues about the boundaries between high art and naïve visual language.
Artist & collection
Artist
Shirley Jaffe was an American abstract painter. Her early work is of the gestural abstract expressionist style, however in the late 1960s she changed to a more geometric style. This change was initially received with…
