Untitled 1961

This untitled work by Louis Bunce is a lithograph, a printmaking technique that relies on the natural aversion between grease and water. The artist likely drew the composition onto a flat stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon, then treated the surface so that ink would adhere only to the drawn areas, resulting in the design being transferred to paper. The richness of the blacks and grays suggests a mastery of this process, with variations in tone achieved through the skillful application of pressure and the careful selection of inks. The textural qualities, from the solid rectangles to the more fluid, organic shapes, hint at the artist’s hand guiding the lithographic process. It’s interesting to consider lithography in terms of labor and skill. While it allows for multiples to be made, each print still requires a degree of handcraft, distinct from the mass production associated with industrial printing. By focusing on the material and process, we can appreciate how the artist has transformed a commercial technique into a medium for expressive abstraction.