Delta Group II
Wedded to abstract painting, Whitten’s practice took a decisive turn in the mid-1970s, when he pioneered new methods of paint application that involved the use squeegees, rakes, saw blades, and Afro picks. Such techniques had the effect of systematizing and depersonalizing his work. Indeed, Whitten has noted that in 1974 he started embracing "laboratory work," making what he has called "programmed" or "photographic" pictures. To this end, the diagrammatic composition of Delta Group II, with its meticulous network of parallel and intersecting lines, recalls images of the lunar landscape as well as aerial landscapes taken from military planes. The protrusions that appear in the work’s otherwise flat, raked surface were created by placing objects such as stones, pieces of wire, and thin metal sheets between the canvas and the drawing board during painting.
Artwork Details
- Title: Delta Group II
- Artist: Jack Whitten (American, Bessemer, Alabama 1939–2018 New York)
- Date: 1975
- Medium: Acrylic on canvas
- Dimensions: 51 1/16 × 88 1/8 × 1 1/2 in. (129.7 × 223.8 × 3.8 cm)
Crate (Travel crate/T Frame): 59 5/8 × 96 1/2 × 8 5/8 in. (151.4 × 245.1 × 21.9 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph H. Hazen Foundation Inc. Gift, 1975
- Object Number: 1975.155
- Rights and Reproduction: © Estate of Jack Whitten. Courtesy The Estate of Jack Whitten and Hauser & Wirth
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Jack Whitten
2011
Returned to lender
Jack Whitten
1994
Returned to lender
Jack Whitten
2017
Returned to lender
Jack Whitten
1986
Returned to lender
Jack Whitten
1986
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.