A very dark and textural collage painting, Mark achieved this complex effect through a technique of layering and combining paint with crumpled paper. She utilized the physical, three-dimensional properties of this material, imbedding it into the paint, to build up an intricate surface. This is unlike many other artists' collage methods that took advantage of paper's other potential visual qualities, such as the flat shape of a cut-out or the color of the paper itself.

In this Abstract Expressionist work, Mark also plays with dull and glossy paint sheens, as well as the dramatic contrast of deep blacks with saturated primary colors such as red and blue. It is relatively small in size, and mounted on Masonite, both typical of Mark's works from the early 1960s.

Collage Painting #22 is one of over thirty artworks shown in Mark's only solo exhibition documented during her lifetime: Libbie Mark: Paintings and Collages, May 15–June 9, 1962 at Knapik Gallery, New York, NY. With a well-documented history, not only does this piece have its original frame and Knapik number label, it also features artist and work info labels on verso, is shown in archival installation photos, and is listed in the surviving pricelist for the show.

Berry Campbell Inv. no. MARK-00028
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