We believe this to be a later 1960s work due to its relatively large size, canvas (instead of Masonite) substrate, and restrained use of collage. Mark leaves significant painted areas to stand on their own, without the heavy emphasis on overall texture seen in her early works. Here, she concentrates the collaged and textural elements in a vertical line down the middle, with long flanking swaths of deep rusty red and bright yellow. The orientation - most of Mark's paintings are verticals - creates movement and dynamism throughout.

This untitled collage painting is a beautiful example of Mark's innovative use of materials and color to create unique surface effects and a striking Abstract Expressionist composition. She incorporated torn and crumpled strips of paper into the paint and added more paper strips on top of the surface to create compositional lines. Mark also added texture through layered multicolored brushstrokes and thick paint splatters at center.

This painting was exhibited in Mark's first posthumous solo show Art of the Abstract Mark: Libbie Mark’s Collage Paintings and Other Works, 1950s–1960s, January 18–February 25, 2022 at the National Arts Club, New York, NY. It is featured in the 56-page exhibition catalogue, which contains 27 vivid full-page color reproductions, two essays, a chronology, and additional illustrations. The catalogue is available online, and at Berry Campbell.

Berry Campbell Inv. no. MARK-00009
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