Untitled Etching #1

Barnett Newman|Universal Limited Art Editions|Donn Steward

1969 · Etching and aquatint · Drawings and Prints

Newman’s work is structured by what he termed "zips"—vertical lines that direct attention to the material properties of the work and the viewer’s engagement with it—which became a kind of visual signature for the artist. Untitled Etching #1, originally conceived as a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., recalls Newman’s 1961 painting Shining Forth (To George), made shortly after the death of the artist’s brother. Both works are horizontal and have stark black-and-white contrasts, with a prominent central zip that acts as an axis dividing the surface into two equal sections. The painting and print each contain a solid black stripe on the left; in the etching, Newman replaced the painting’s brushy black marks on the right with four thin and tightly compressed lines, showing his use of a language related to printmaking.

Artist

Barnett Newman|Universal Limited Art Editions|Donn Steward

Date

1969

Medium

Etching and aquatint

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Stewart S. MacDermott Fund, 1969