Locus, Series #4
Dorothea Rockburne
Object Label
Moving from the study of mathematics to art as a student at Black Mountain College, Dorothea Rockburne kept conceptual and structural thinking at the heart of her innovative art-making, and that logical approach has also dictated her use of materials. For the Locus series, the artist experiments with the sculptural possibilities of paper through folding, printing, and polishing the print surface. Looking to the history of Italian altar painting, Rockburne also considered wall placement and its influence on the viewer, seeking a heightened presence by activating the interaction from above.
Caption
Dorothea Rockburne (Canadian, born 1932). Locus, Series #4, 1972. Etching, aquatint and graphite on paper, 40 × 30 in. (101.6 × 76.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Nancy and Arnold Smoller, 2005.46.3.
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Locus, Series #4
Portfolio
Date
1972
Medium
Etching, aquatint and graphite on paper
Classification
Dimensions
40 × 30 in. (101.6 × 76.2 cm)
Signatures
Signed and dated in graphite lower right: Rockburne 72 Titled in graphite lower left
Credit Line
Gift of Nancy and Arnold Smoller
Accession Number
2005.46.3
Frequent Art Questions
Tell me more.
Like many of the artists in this exhibition, Rockburne pushes the boundaries of what can be considered art.Her work is considered to exist amongst the media of drawing, painting, sculpture, and printmaking -- while not being identifiable as any of them. These are about how they are made.To create these works, Rockburne folded the paper and ran it through a printing press in sections, creating more permanent creases. She also applied aquatint, which creates the velvety sheen you can see in certain areas.
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