Untitled (11-22-58) 1958

David Smith created this untitled ink drawing on November 22, 1958. Immediately, one notices the bold, sweeping strokes of black ink against the understated cream-colored paper, conveying a sense of dynamic energy. Smith's marks are gestural, embodying a sense of movement and freedom, which resonates with the broader ethos of Abstract Expressionism. But the work also seems to hint at something more structured. Look at how the shapes, while abstract, suggest a kind of skeletal framework, a structure stripped down to its essential components. We can consider the work through the lens of structuralism. Smith uses a limited vocabulary of forms—essentially strokes and blots—that combine to create a complex visual field. The artwork’s materiality, the very texture of the ink as it sits on the paper, becomes part of its message. This focus on structure and form places Smith’s drawing not just as an emotional expression but as an intellectual exercise. It’s a visual field where meaning is constructed through the relationships between elements.