%C2%A9 Gabriel Orozco
Tempera and burnished gold leaf on linen canvasexpand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fundexpand_more 2017.100
The work Untitled (2016) fits squarely into Orozco’s ongoing exploration of nature and artificiality. Like the majority of Orozco’s paintings, the work utilizes a square canvas as the support for a complex grid of vertical, horizontal, and in this case, diagonal intersecting lines drawn in pencil. However, unlike previous works which almost exclusively employ a the diagrammatic logic of the circle, Untitled (2016) is comprised primarily of small triangular shapes in a soothing palette of greens, blues, turquoise, yellows, and gold leaf reminiscent of sunlit foliage.
Starting from the center, as both a vanishing point and center of gravity, the composition begins as a dense cluster of triangles that mimic the tesserae pattern of a mosaic. This motif radiates outward from the center with varying density, gradually dissipating as it moves further from the epicenter, creating a dizzying ripple-like effect similar to that of waves reverberating on a puddle of water. In the past, the artist has likened similar compositions to that of the Big Bang, explaining, “The bubbling, it starts with that, the universe being a big bang from a bubble and the bubble grows—it’s kind of a universe in expansion.”
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
© Gabriel Orozco