Untitled (F 60-1) 1959

Al Held made this untitled painting with acrylic on canvas. Looking closely, the painting has thin layers of color and brushstrokes that don't hide the texture of the woven canvas. See how the forms are built up from simple shapes: a circle, triangle and a line? The artist used acrylic paint, which was developed for industrial use in the 1940s, and became very popular with artists because it could be thinned with water and dried quickly. Its quick-drying capabilities meant that artists could layer colors and shapes more easily than before. Though the canvas is machine-made, the artist's hand is apparent in the building up of these geometric shapes. Thinking about materials, process, and social context allows us to appreciate the full meaning of this painting, and challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.