white sheet of paper with black linear drawing; two thin lines begin at bottom center of sheet, and move upwards toward center, thickening at the top; left line has single line extending out from the side at the top, moving downwards to the left; right line has two lines extending off at the top, moving downwards on both right and left side

%C2%A9 Jan Groth

Untitled, 1978

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Jan Groth is best known as a maker of tapestries with abstract designs that explore the relationship between form and field, line and picture plane. But he also works in other media, including crayon drawings and metal sculpture. Groth has said that his work is about “the balance between almost something and almost nothing.” The present drawing, a quick crayon scrawl on paper, literally embodies that philosophy.

Though his drawings are closely connected to his tapestries, in many ways the two are the antithesis of one another. In 1968, his weaving practice switched from white backgrounds to black. The drawings retain a black-on-white sensibility. His weaving is laborious and performed as a collaborative process. The drawings are quickly made as a solo act. The tapestries are as monumental as the drawings are intimate. As such, Groth’s drawings present a whole other side to his creativity.

Details
Title
Untitled
Artist Life
born 1938
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2018.95.2
Provenance
A gift from the artist Jan Groth (Oslo Norway, b. 1938) to Mia, 2018
Curator Approved

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white sheet of paper with black linear drawing; two thin lines begin at bottom center of sheet, and move upwards toward center, thickening at the top; left line has single line extending out from the side at the top, moving downwards to the left; right line has two lines extending off at the top, moving downwards on both right and left side

© Jan Groth

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