Untitled

Kenneth Noland, Untitled, 1958, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chiyo Thomas Telford in loving memory of her father, Elbert D. Thomas, 1992.88
Copied Kenneth Noland, Untitled, 1958, acrylic on canvas, 24 1425 in. (61.663.5 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chiyo Thomas Telford in loving memory of her father, Elbert D. Thomas, 1992.88

Artwork Details

Title
Untitled
Date
1958
Dimensions
24 1425 in. (61.663.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Chiyo Thomas Telford in loving memory of her father, Elbert D. Thomas
Mediums
Mediums Description
acrylic on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1992.88

Artwork Description

This untitled piece is a "proto-circle," one of Kenneth Noland's first circle paintings in which a bold black ring focuses our eyes on the colors and textures within. Noland felt that the "touch and application" of color was just as important as its hue, and he applied the paint in heavy brushstrokes to emphasize the different stages of his working process. Stripes and dashes of green, orange, and yellow show partially through the white paint, as if waiting to burst through and fill the circle with color.