Hedda Sterne began producing a series of works called "Anthropographs" in 1947. Construction equipment, stoves, boilers, scientific instruments, and other industrial contraptions were depicted by her as strange, human-like apparatuses. Anthropograph #19 is a prime example from this series, showcasing Sterne's curiosity for American inventions but also her interest in the otherworldly. In 2006, Sterne expressed that she "had a feeling that machines were unconcious self-portraits of people's psyches: the grasping, the wanting, the agression that's in a machine."

Untitled is a monotype produced by Sterne after completing Anthrograph #19. This work is unique in that Sterne did nor produce monotypes after many of her painitngs. To create the work, Sterne employed "transfer drawing" - a printmaking technique that involved drawing with pencil onto the backside of the sheet, while the paper sat on top of a painted surface or matrix so the image was pressed onto the front. The monotype is encased in a special frame that allows viewers to see both the front and backsides.

DMAC News, Apr May Jun 2020