Susan Rothenberg

American, 1945-2020

Two-Tone

Susan Rothenberg (American, born 1945). Two-Tone, 1975. Acrylic and tempera on canvas, 69 x 113 inches (175.3 x 287 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Armand J. Castellani, 1977 (1977:22). © Susan Rothenberg / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

© Estate of Susan Rothenberg / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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© Estate of Susan Rothenberg / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

Two-Tone, 1975

Artwork Details

Currently on View

Collection Highlight

Materials

acrylic and tempera on canvas

Measurements

support: 69 1/2 x 114 inches (176.53 x 289.56 cm); framed: 69 1/2 x 114 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches (176.53 x 290.2 x 3.81 cm)

Collection Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Armand J. Castellani, 1977

Accession ID

1977:22

During the 1970s, when many artists shied away from recognizable subject matter, Susan Rothenberg wanted to bring back references to the real world. In 1974 she drew a doodle of a horse on a small piece of canvas. Intrigued by the result, she began to treat the animal as a stand-in for the human figure. Rothenberg liked the tension the subject created, commenting, “The horse is a three-dimensional being, but when covered by a line it becomes more two-dimensional, like the painting surface. Horses encompass numerous connotations and potential references, including instinct, power, and the natural world.” In Two-Tone, the innate power of a horse’s body is diminished in its representation as a neutral form. Looking at this painting we get the impression of the animal’s overall shape but, ultimately, are unable to determine any discrete physical characteristics.

Label from Menagerie: Animals on View, March 11–June 4, 2017

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