About the artwork
This untitled 2006 work by Lenny McGurr, known as Futura 2000, is executed in ink on paper and measures 31 × 21 cm. The composition is characterized by a spontaneous, nervous drawing of rapid, angular lines that structure a stylized, almost animal or robotic figure. The black lines, drawn with great economy of means, are punctuated by touches of color and splashes of paint that introduce a dynamic, gestural dimension. This graphic style evokes Futura's singular visual universe, situated on the border between graffiti, abstraction and automatic drawing. The central motif, deliberately ambiguous, leaves room for interpretation, while retaining the energy characteristic of the visual language developed by the artist since the 1980s.
Expert opinion
Futura's works on paper occupy an important place in the understanding of his artistic practice, as they reveal the most direct and experimental dimension of his drawing. Through this type of minimalist composition, the artist transposes onto paper the gestural energy and formal freedom derived from the New York graffiti culture of which he was one of the pioneers. The spontaneity of the line, combined with a few chromatic accents, recalls Futura's research into movement, sign and line. Today, small-format works on paper in ink are a sought-after segment of the market, offering an intimate approach to the artist's work while remaining accessible compared to his paintings on canvas. This piece, accompanied by its certificate of authenticity issued by Ghost Galerie in Marseille, is representative of Futura's graphic practice in the mid-2000s.
About the artist
Leonard McGurr, aka Futura, was born in New York in 1955. Futura was one of the very first graffiti artists to break away from lettering in the early '80s and create abstract compositions. Futura soon developed a body of work on canvas, which he exhibited alongside artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf. The key elements of the style we know today are already there: clouds of color with subtle variations, extremely fine lines that seem to scratch the surface, and above all that astonishing fluidity of execution that gives his works that distinctive atmospheric tone. His style and virtuosity have made Futura a key figure in the urban art scene, which has spanned the ages and made a mockery of simplistic categories. He is regularly invited to take part in projects and exhibitions by institutions around the world, including the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain and the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the MOCA in Los Angeles and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Additional info
Framed
Proof of authenticity
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