Fourteenth Stone

Lee BontecouWW-1968-096102

1968·Lithograph from two stones in white and gray ink on ivory wove paper, overprinted in black ink·Image: 63.1 × 89.5 cm (24 7/8 × 35 1/4 in.); Sheet: 76.5 × 106.8 cm (30 1/8 × 42 1/16 in.)

The preparatory drawings, stencils, and trial proofs in the collection of the Art Institute show the extensive trial and error that went into the creation of Fourteenth Stone. Still, the artist was unhappy with Fourteenth Stone as published. Although she settled upon white ink on black paper for the final published print, she explained, “I wasn’t happy with the color. It wasn’t what I wanted. I should have said, ‘Just do it in black and white. Let it sit up as a strong black and white.’ I remember seeing it after and saying, ‘Well, it’s as good as it can be. It’s done.’” Nonetheless, Fourteenth Stone is among Bontecou’s subtlest and most evocative prints.

Catalogue

Year: 1968
Medium: Lithograph from two stones in white and gray ink on ivory wove paper, overprinted in black ink
Dimensions: Image: 63.1 × 89.5 cm (24 7/8 × 35 1/4 in.); Sheet: 76.5 × 106.8 cm (30 1/8 × 42 1/16 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Lee Bontecou

Artist

Lee Bontecou

Sculpture

The work of abstract sculptor Lee Bontecou evades easy categorization. Although not affiliated with any artistic movement, her objects share similarities with Minimalism and Abstract Expressionism and evoke early Cubist sculpture. Her sculptures are typically defined by dark cavernous voids at their centers, and posses an industrial, seemingly mechanical aesthetic.

Providence, RI, USA

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