Untitled 1964

This striking, untitled work was made by Thomas Downing, who died in 1985. It is composed of precisely cut wooden sections, joined and painted a deep burgundy color. The geometric composition, angular and direct, has an almost industrial quality, owing to the methods of carpentry used to create it. We can imagine the artist using saws and planes to carefully shape the wood. The paint applied over the entire surface further emphasizes its unity and objecthood. Was this meant to be hung on a wall, like a painting, or perhaps even to stand on the floor as a sculpture? Downing’s construction plays with these possibilities. Downing's choice of materials and making processes are not just aesthetic decisions; they reflect a desire to challenge traditional notions of art. By using carpentry techniques and emphasizing the physical presence of his work, he blurred the boundaries between art, design, and craft. In so doing, he asks us to consider the value and cultural meanings we ascribe to objects.