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 features a streamlined graphic structure built around an elongated central motif, drawn in blue and black ink. Vertical lines and simplified geometric shapes create a stylized figure that evokes both an abstract symbol and a quasi-figurative presence. A few splashes of color and traces of rapid gesture enliven the surface, introducing a spontaneous dimension. The economy of means, combined with the precision of the line, highlights the calligraphic quality of the drawing and the gestural freedom that characterizes the artist's visual writing.
Expert opinion
Futura's works on paper are an essential aspect of his artistic practice, capturing the spontaneity and energy of gesture that lie at the heart of his visual language. Through these ink drawings, the artist transposes onto an intimate medium the formal research developed in New York graffiti, of which he is one of the major pioneers. His line work, both minimalist and dynamic, reveals a constant exploration of sign and movement. The compositions on paper produced in the 2000s bear witness to the continuity of this research and offer direct access to the artist's graphic universe. Accompanied by its certificate of authenticity issued by Ghost Galerie in Marseille, this work is part of Futura's characteristic production and illustrates how his language, which originated in graffiti, evolves towards a form of gestural abstraction specific to his work.
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
OTHER ARTWORKS YOU MAY LIKE
Your Dynamic Snippet will be displayed here...
This message is displayed because you did not provide both a filter and a template to use.