
Untitled
2020
This commanding abstract drawing by Richard Serra belongs to a celebrated series of works created between 2020 and 2021, executed in paintstick, etching ink, and silica on handmade paper. A massive curved black form dominates the composition, leaving only small triangular slivers of the warm cream paper exposed at the upper left and lower right corners, creating a profound tension between presence and absence. The surface bears deeply textural vertical striations that convey immense physical weight and density, embodying Serra's lifelong conviction that drawing is an act of mass and pressure rather than mere line. This piece is a rare and significant example of late-period work from one of the most important sculptors and draughtsmen of the 20th and 21st centuries.
- Medium
- Paintstick, etching ink, and silica on handmade paper
Notes
Part of a selection of six drawings from 2020 to 2021 by Richard Serra (1938 to 2024). All works in the group are paintstick, etching ink, and silica on handmade paper. Presented via vasilikaliman Instagram account.
More by Richard Serra
Collectors with works by Richard Serra
Artists in conversation

Donald Judd
American · b. 1928

Judd shared Serra's commitment to minimalist sculpture using industrial materials and explored how geometric forms interact with architectural space. Both artists prioritized the physical presence of objects over representational meaning.

Carl Andre
American · b. 1935

Andre's site specific floor based sculptures using raw industrial materials like steel and lead directly parallel Serra's investigations into materiality and spatial occupation. Both emerged from the same minimalist milieu in the 1960s.

Anthony Caro
British · b. 1924

Caro's large scale welded steel sculptures share Serra's interest in monumental abstract form and the expressive potential of raw industrial metal. Both artists transformed fabricated steel into works that command and define surrounding space.
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