MEHRETU, JULIE
1970 Addis Abeba/Ethiopia

Title: Untitled.
Date: 2001.
Technique: India ink on Mylar.
Mounting: Mounted on paper.
Measurement: 48 x 51 cm.
Frame: Framed.


The work is accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist from 4.1.2002.



Provenance:
- - The Project Gallery, New York

- Private collection

- Private collection Hamburg



- Early work from the period in which she developed her distinctive visual language

- A dynamic fusion of drawing and cartographic structure



Born in Ethiopia in 1970 and raised in the United States, artist Julie Mehretu is one of the leading figures in international contemporary art. Her works combine graphic precision with cartographic, architectural, and gestural elements to create multi-layered pictorial spaces. Since the early 2000s, her work has been exhibited worldwide in major museums and exhibitions, including multiple appearances at the Venice Biennale as well as comprehensive solo exhibitions in Europe and the U.S. A characteristic feature is the layering of different sign systems, which gives rise to complex spatial and dynamic structures.

This work from 2001 shows a concentrated, horizontal densification of lines, dots, and fragmented signs spreading across the tracing paper. Fine, precisely placed lines intersect with loosely placed, almost calligraphic marks. In between, there are localized clusters that appear like clusters or nodes. The linear clusters and rhythmic arrangements evoke the structure of a musical score. The transparency of the medium makes the composition appear light and open, while the dense drawing in the center creates a clear structural emphasis. Individual linear grids and schematic hints evoke architectural or cartographic systems without being clearly defined.

The work moves between construction and dissolution. The various layers of drawing interlock, overlap, and form an open structure that does not prescribe a fixed order. Rather, the impression is that of a system in motion that is continuously reorganizing itself. The tension between controlled line work and free gesture is central to the visual impact.

As an early work, the sheet marks a phase in which Mehretu developed her characteristic visual language. The combination of linear structures, gestural inscriptions, and spatial openness already foreshadows the complex large-format compositions of the following years.



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#Julie Mehretu #Figurative Art #USA #Contemporary Art #2000s #Contemporary Art.







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