This work is possibly one of Mark’s most intricately textured Abstract Expressionist collage paintings. Even upon close examination, it is difficult to tell what is paint and what is the paper that she worked into and thickly layered on top of the paint. Mark utilized the physical, three-dimensional properties of torn and crumpled paper to build up a chunky and intricate surface. This technique 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.

Beyond demonstrating her incredible version of impasto, in this painting Mark also showed her talent and instinct for color combinations that achieved strong visual effects. Here, she played with pops of vivid blue and contrasting blacks, as well as the bold and exhilarating juxtaposition of bright red with its complementary green. The vertical composition - most of Mark's paintings are verticals - creates movement and dynamism throughout.

Created in the 1960s, this collage 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-00005
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