My Left Hand Holding a Square 4 by Jonathan Monk is a limited edition set of 4 drypoint prints from 2008, produced in an edition of 40. Each print depicts a simple outline of Monk's left hand, with a square shape centered in the palm. The repetition of the hand and square across the four prints creates slight variations in line texture and placement, inviting close observation of each subtle difference. Monk’s minimalist approach and the deliberate use of repetition evoke themes of identity, continuity, and the physical act of holding. The restrained, meditative composition encourages viewers to ponder the significance of holding a form, both literally and symbolically, and reflects on the uniqueness of each impression in the series.
Jonathan Monk (UK, 1969) is a conceptual artist whose work reinterprets and challenges art history with wit and irony. Using diverse media, including photography, sculpture, and performance, he engages in playful dialogues with iconic artists and movements. Monk’s works blur originality and appropriation, inviting viewers to question the boundaries of contemporary art.
Set 4 Dry pointsDrypoint is an intaglio printmaking technique where an image is incised onto a plate using a sharp, pointed tool, typically a needle made of metal or diamond. Traditionally, copper plates were used, but today zinc, plexiglass, or acetate are also common. Drypoint is easier for drawing artists to master compared to engraving, as the needle technique resembles drawing with a pencil rather than the more complex burin used in engraving.
Size
Inches
Centimeters
56.5 X 38.5 cm
Edition
Edition of 40
Price
USD
EUR
GBP
CHF
3,000EUR
?
+ VAT/import Duties (if applicable)
Authenticity Guaranteed
Insured Shipping
Online Since 2005
Share
●Inventory 3029
●Signed
●Comes with gallery invoice and certificate
●Any questions?
Set 4 Dry points
My Left Hand Holding a Square 4 by Jonathan Monk is a limited edition set of 4 drypoint prints from 2008, produced in an edition of 40. Each print depicts a simple outline of Monk's left hand, with a square shape centered in the palm. The repetition of the hand and square across the four prints creates slight variations in line texture and placement, inviting close observation of each subtle difference. Monk’s minimalist approach and the deliberate use of repetition evoke themes of identity, continuity, and the physical act of holding. The restrained, meditative composition encourages viewers to ponder the significance of holding a form, both literally and symbolically, and reflects on the uniqueness of each impression in the series.
Jonathan Monk (UK, 1969) is a conceptual artist whose work reinterprets and challenges art history with wit and irony. Using diverse media, including photography, sculpture, and performance, he engages in playful dialogues with iconic artists and movements. Monk’s works blur originality and appropriation, inviting viewers to question the boundaries of contemporary art.
Is it or is it not or can it or can it not be?
- Jonathan Monk
Jonathan Monk is a British artist living and working in Berlin, Germany. He creates photographs, film, sculpture and installation pieces which are thought to be humorous reinterpretations of works by Sol LeWitt, Ed Ruscha, and John Baldessari to name some. Monk often uses quotations to give new ideas to works viewed as seminal in their time, adding quirkiness to challenge the value of the artwork. Jonathan Monk's upbringing in a working class environment is viewed by some as his source for taking the artistic and adding the mundane in ways that encourage viewers to think differently about specific art pieces than they may have before. Jonathan Monk has works exhibited throughout the world. His Tears, 2005 photograph shows a passport photo with the eyes completely covered by a pair of drop earrings placed to represent tears. His Painting of a photo of a photo of a painting, 2008, has images of a purple vase filled with yellow sunflowers, both in photograph image and then drawn in markers. The greeting “Get Well Soon” is one of three witty, hand-lettered greetings included. These are only two of the pieces which have established Jonathan Monk's reputation as a humorist in the art world.
Lettrism is an art form that uses letters, words, and symbols to create artwork. The movement was established in Paris in the 1940s and later gained popularity in the 1950s in America. Lettrisme is the French spelling of the movement's name, derived from the French word for letter.