The Menil Collection The Menil Collection

In his innovative approach to abstraction, Jack Whitten sought to create artworks with a gesture, likening himself to “a camera trapping something in a single fix.” Just as a click of a camera could capture an image, Whitten sought to create instantaneous pictures that would forego overt narratives, but hold traces of the autobiographical. In Dispersal ‘B’ #4, 1971, Whitten sprayed and splattered dry pigment onto paper, underscoring his commitment to materials that create effects beyond his control.