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Lot Essay
Whitten’s works on paper are a fundamental facet of his artistic practice. Often, the artist experiments with
formal, technical, and conceptual issues in his drawings before applying them to paint and canvas.
Whitten explains, “My concept of space in painting is multi-dimensional. Drawing on a two-dimensional
plane is my way of investigating the architectonic structure of multi-dimensions.” Here, he creates layered
planes of the works’ surface through the use of different media and processes. On top of the dry
watercolor pigment, Whitten applied a thin layer of dry acrylic paint through the quick horizontal
movement of a small-scale version of the serrated tool he calls his “developer.” Having created paintings
in a predominantly gray-scale palette in the mid-1970s, Whitten’s use of color in this work anticipates the
shift he would make the following year of incorporating of color into his works on canvas.
formal, technical, and conceptual issues in his drawings before applying them to paint and canvas.
Whitten explains, “My concept of space in painting is multi-dimensional. Drawing on a two-dimensional
plane is my way of investigating the architectonic structure of multi-dimensions.” Here, he creates layered
planes of the works’ surface through the use of different media and processes. On top of the dry
watercolor pigment, Whitten applied a thin layer of dry acrylic paint through the quick horizontal
movement of a small-scale version of the serrated tool he calls his “developer.” Having created paintings
in a predominantly gray-scale palette in the mid-1970s, Whitten’s use of color in this work anticipates the
shift he would make the following year of incorporating of color into his works on canvas.