Garbage Bag
Robert Whitman
American, 1935–2024
c. 1962
A quick pencil-and-crayon study that turns an ordinary garbage bag into an energized sketch of color, texture, and form, suggesting a preparatory idea for Whitman's experimental projects.
A dense, multicolored knot of red, blue, yellow, and green scribbles sits low on a largely empty sheet—its raw spiral-bound edge and faint pencil scaffolding give the image a direct, improvisational immediacy.
The drawing reflects Whitman’s early-1960s practice of elevating everyday detritus and sketching ephemeral, performative ideas, linking intimate notebook studies to later installations and happenings.
Medium
Pencil and crayon on paper
Dimensions
14 × 11" (35.6 × 27.9 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of the Gilbert B. and Lila Silverman Instruction Drawing Collection, Detroit
Accession
1617.2018
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
