Untitled Inkblot Drawing (CT-1491)

1995 - Drawing & Print (Drawing & Print)

Bruce Conner

Bruce Conner is best known for his experimental films, but throughout his career he also worked with pen, ink, and paper to create drawings ranging from psychedelic patterns to repetitious inkblot compositions. Untitled Inkblot Drawing (CT-1491) (1995) is representative of his aspect of his practice. It is a formal exploration related to many different things: the Rorschach inkblot testing used by psychologists, Japanese calligraphy, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and the intricate patterning Conner saw everywhere in the world around him.

Bruce Conner was undoubtedly one of the key figures of America’s avant-garde art scene since his work emerged in the late 1950s. Affiliated with the beat community, he was overtly opposed to the academic establishment and worked freely in a variety of media, including drawing, sculpture, painting, collage, photography, and assemblage. However, Conner is most recognized for his films in which he created a unique visual montage through the skillful and pioneering editing of found footage.

Colors:

• form.n.03
• rorschach.n.01
• calligraphy.n.01
• repetition.n.02
• psychedelic.s.02
• intricate.s.01
• abstract photography
• anthropomorphism
• appropriation art
• assemblage
• american
• funk art
• postmodern artists
• artists from the san francisco bay area
• american contemporary artists
• american experimental filmmakers
• 20th-century american photographers