Gray Relief on Black
Antoni Tàpies
Spanish, 1923–2012
1959
A large, relief-like abstract work in latex paint with marble dust on canvas in which Tàpies sought to make the marks of time, weather, and everyday objects physically present.
You first notice its ash-gray, eroded field—scraped ribs, smeared smudges, and a dark, framed rectangle at the bottom—that reads like a fusion of map, ruined wall, and worn machine.
A key example of postwar matter painting, it helped push painting toward tactile, sculptural surfaces by using humble materials to record memory and the physical presence of mark-making.
Medium
Latex paint with marble dust on canvas
Dimensions
6' 4 5/8" x 67" (194.6 x 170 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of G. David Thompson
Accession
13.1961
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
