Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil painting by the Neo Expressionist artist Susan Rothenberg. It dates from 1988 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1988, this six‑panel work by Susan Rothenberg consists of oil applied to wood. The composition belongs to the Neo‑Expressionist current, where vigorous gesture and emotive color dominate. The panels are arranged together, forming a single, fragmented visual field that emphasizes the artist’s interest in both abstraction and figurative suggestion.
Subject & Meaning
Within the bold, dark background, two large red forms emerge, their outlines ambiguous yet reminiscent of animal silhouettes, a recurring reference in Rothenberg’s oeuvre. The lack of precise detail invites viewers to contemplate the tension between recognizable motifs and abstracted shape, reflecting the artist’s ongoing inquiry into symbolic representation.
Technique & Style
The surface is marked by thick, impasto brushwork that creates a textured, uneven plane. Dark blues and blacks provide deep tonal contrast, while the vivid reds project forward, giving the paint a near‑sculptural relief. This heavy application of pigment underscores the work’s physicality and the painter’s gestural approach.
History & Provenance
The piece was executed in the late 1980s, a period when Rothenberg was establishing her reputation for merging figurative references with abstract expression. It has remained in private collections since its creation, with limited exhibition history, reflecting the artist’s selective placement of her large‑scale, multi‑panel works.
Context
Rothenberg’s practice during the 1980s engaged with the broader Neo‑Expressionist revival, which emphasized emotional intensity and painterly excess. Her repeated use of equine imagery, though abstracted here, aligns with a personal visual lexicon that bridges the gap between narrative content and pure form.
Artist & collection
Artist
Susan Charna Rothenberg (January 20, 1945 – May 18, 2020) was an American contemporary painter, printmaker, sculptor, and draughtswoman.
