New York based conceptual artist William Anastasi arrived at the Kemper Art Museum on September 17, 2009 to install his piece Untitled (one gallon of high-gloss enamel, poured) now on view in the “Automatism” section of the Chance Aesthetics exhibition. To create this work Anastasi asked Museum preparators to pour black high gloss paint into a series of Dixie cups. After positioning himself at the top of a ladder in order to reach the top of the wall on which his piece was to be installed cup after cup of paint was handed to him. The artist extended his arm as far up the wall as possible and slowly released the paint, creating a streaming line of enamel that resulted in a shimmering pool of black paint on the gallery floor. While Anastasi set specific parameters and limits in advance, indeterminate results were eagerly embraced. For instance, although the process is very controlled, splashes of paint occasionally escaped from the rigorously vertical path of pigment to create unexpected splatters. The piece was finished once the artist determined the puddle of paint left on the floor to be sufficient.

While Anastasi first conceived of Untitled in 1966, along with a sister piece, Untitled (one gallon of high-gloss enamel, thrown), he has since installed it in numerous galleries and museums in the US and abroad. He follows the same basic process every time he installs the work, but the piece comes out differently with each new venue as the composition depends entirely on such factors as the height of a given wall and the slant of a floor. Untitled will remain on view until the close of the exhibition on January 4, at which time the paint will be peeled away and discarded.