ticketsMember | Make a donation

MAB: (Etching II) 1971 Yellow, 2016

2016
Not on view
Binion employs nonobjective forms while undermining the detachment such shapes connote by adding personal and subjective elements, a practice resulting in what he terms "handmade geometry." A grid structures this print, yet the lines are hand drawn, as is the large circle in the center; both elements contrast with the precision and standardization characteristic of hard-edged Minimalist art. The artist also incorporates autobiographical references in the title (via his initials) and a photographic portrait, which is repeated throughout the composition. These photographs, reproduced in black ink under a vibrant yellow, are arranged in horizontal and vertical bands that recall both the seriality of film strips and the photo-mechanical screenprints made by Andy Warhol, who, like Binion, used photographic portraits, often of himself. In other works, Binion has included elements such as copies of his birth certificate, pages from his address book, and family photographs. He refers to this archive as his DNA, thus inspiring the title of his DNA series.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: MAB: (Etching II) 1971 Yellow, 2016
  • Artist: McArthur Binion (American, born 1946)
  • Date: 2016
  • Medium: Color aquatint with hardground etching
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 22 1/2 in. × 22 in. (57.2 × 55.9 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: John B. Turner Fund, 2022
  • Object Number: 2022.403
  • Rights and Reproduction: Courtesy of the artist and Paulson Fontaine Press
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Potato: Field
McArthur Binion
2017
DNA: Etching I, McArthur Binion American, Color aquatint, sugarlift aquatint, and etching
DNA: Etching I
McArthur Binion
2015
Untitled (#9), McArthur Binion American, Crayon, graphite, and wash on paper
Untitled (#9)
McArthur Binion
1977
Untitled (#5), McArthur Binion American, Charcoal and wash on paper
Untitled (#5)
McArthur Binion
1978
He Disappeared into Complete Silence, Louise Bourgeois American, Engraving and drypoint with letterpress in a linen portfolio cover
He Disappeared into Complete Silence
Louise Bourgeois
1947

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

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.