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Preview image of work. graphite and crayon on vellum,  Untitled 12607

2000.20.5

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Untitled

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Artist

Burgoyne Diller (1906 - 1965)

Title

Untitled

Creation Date

1946

Century

20th century

Dimensions

16 5/8 in. x 13 3/4 in. (42.23 cm x 34.93 cm)

Object Type

drawing

Creation Place

North America, United States

Medium and Support

graphite and crayon on vellum

Credit Line

Gift of halley k harrisburg, Class of 1990, and Michael Rosenfeld

Copyright

This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s Copyright Terms and Conditions.

Accession Number

2000.20.5

Burgoyne Diller is recognized as the first American to practice Neoplasticism, a form of geometric abstraction introduced by Piet Mondrian (1872--1944) in 1917 and strictly based on the use of black and white and primary colors in squares and rectangles. Diller responded to Neoplasticism by developing three categorical themes. This drawing falls into the category of Theme One, which is defined as arrangements of vertical and horizontal lines of different thicknesses on rectangular and monochromatic backgrounds. In this version, the thin red, blue, and yellow vertical lines touch the edges of the vellum-colored rectangles, while the horizontal black rectangles float. Diller presents each on a smooth graphite pool that isolates and highlights the rectangles of the composition. While some of his drawings were used as references for later sculptural work, most of them were created as unique artworks in their own right.