Untitled No. 7

Artist Agnes Martin (1912 - 2004)

Date1980

MediumGesso, acrylic and graphite on canvas

Dimensions184 x 184 cm

ClassificationsPaintings

Credit LineCollection & image © Hugh Lane Gallery. Purchased, 1980. © The Estate of Agnes Martin.

Object number1446

DescriptionAgnes Martin's simplified abstract forms are internationally renowned. She is one of the great exponents of post-painterly abstraction. Greatly influenced by nature and Asian philosophy, her humility and lack of ego breathes through her art. She wants the spectator to experience some of the same feelings when viewing her work that they do when in front of nature. Born in Canada, she lived in New York in the late 1950s and early 60s, where her work rapidly received critical acclaim. In 1968, she moved back to New Mexico where she had lived from 1952 to 1957. The white light of the desert and the rich earth colours permeate her work. Solely about visual perception, with a complete absence of representational or literary references, this singular work is realised through a lifetime of self critical appraisal and a commitment to a timeless expression. Untitled No 7 was exhibited at ROSC in 1980. It is a superb example of how her work unfolds with the benefit of time. The feeling of sublime the painting engenders is extraordinary given it has emerged from such a rudimentary composition. The fugitive understanding of such concepts as sense of space and light in painting and their ensuing implications to time give this work its singular meditative quality. Agnes Martin has imbued her work with feelings that are generally aroused when viewing significant form.

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