Skip to main content

Mel Bochner Art

American, b. 1940

Mel Bochner experimented with a range of styles before finding his eventual success as a pioneer in Conceptual art. An audacious 1966 show at School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan that he presented, “Working Drawings and Other Visible Things on Paper Not Necessarily Meant to Be Viewed as Art,” remains a seminal touchstone for Conceptualism.

Bochner was born to a Pittsburgh sign painter in 1940. While attending the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon) in the late 1950s, he studied color theory and modernist movements as well as classical drawing, a balance that was formative in his career. After graduation, he moved to San Francisco, creating paintings influenced by Clyfford Still and Jean Dubuffet.

It wasn’t until Bochner “found his way out of the labyrinth of late Abstract Expressionism,” as he put it to The Brooklyn Rail, that he began to create his most meaningful work. Following a stint auditing philosophy classes after a friend introduced him to the work of Heidegger, Bochner relocated to New York, finding work as a guard at the Jewish Museum. In Manhattan, he ran in the same circles as Dan Flavin, Brice Marden and Donald Judd.

“One of the conversations going on in New York in the late ’60s was about the relationship of the object to the art experience,” Bochner said. “...Younger artists like myself were talking about what it would mean to eliminate the object altogether.” This idea would become the foundation of the Conceptual movement, in which Bochner was instrumental. The artist is probably best known for his text-focused paintings, including a series that plays with the phrase “Blah Blah Blah.” He produces work that regards art as an experience, rather than an object, centering on the process of creation and viewership as opposed to the finished product.

Bochner’s “Working Drawings and Other Visible Things on Paper Not Necessarily Meant to Be Viewed as Art” featured drawings, notes and outlines from the likes of Milton Glaser, Carl Andre, Sol LeWitt and others as well as pages from Scientific American. Bochner, then an art history professor at SVA, photocopied the assemblage of works, added them to binders and positioned them on pedestals for the exhibition because the show’s organizers lacked the funds to frame the pieces.

Bochner’s works can be found in the collections of many major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Find original Mel Bochner prints and other art on 1stDibs.

to
2
16
9
8
7
6
5
1
Kick Against the Pricks (Blah, Blah, Blah) Pop Silkscreen Hand Signed/N, Framed
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
MEL BOCHNER Kick Against the Pricks (Blah..Blah...Blah...), 2018 Two color silkscreen on boutique silk fair paper with blue-colored back, 350 gsm paper Signed, dated, and numbered 29/30 on the front by Mel Bochner Frame included: elegantly framed in a museum quality white wood frame with UV plexiglass is included Measurements: Framed: 12.5 inches x 30 inches x .5 inch Artwork: 10.5 inches x 28 inches Published by Two Palms Press Bibliography Catalogue Raisonné of Editioned Prints Krakow Witkin...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Crazy over the top (With background Noise)
By Mel Bochner
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Bochner, Mel Title: Crazy over the top (With background Noise) Date: 2018 Medium: Screenprint in colors with black gloss ink on wove paper Unframed Dimensions: 21.7" x 23.6" Framed Dimensions: 24" x 26" Signature: Signed by Artist Edition: 17/30 Published by Two Palms Press, Inc., New York, Printed by Luther Davis, BRT Printshop, Brooklyn, New York Reference: Krakow Witkin...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Large Mel Bochner BLAH BLAH BLAH (INVERSE) Silkscreen, 62"H
By Mel Bochner
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Mel Bochner (American, 1940-2025) Marking(s); notes: signed; ed. 12/30; 2022 Materials: silkscreen on Lanaquarelle paper with diamond dust Dimensions (...
Category

2010s Pop Art Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Mel Bochner "Blah, Blah, Blah" oil monoprint with collage, engraving, embossment
By Mel Bochner
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Brightly colored "Blah, Blah, Blah" monoprint in oil with collage, engraving and embossment on handmade paper by artist Mel Bochner from Two Palms Publishing. Signed and dated Bochne...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving

Brightly Colored Monoprint by Mel Bochner
By Mel Bochner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Meaningless" – Signed, titled, dated, 2004 monoprint-on-paper artwork by notable, internationally exhibited American artist, Mel Bochner (b. 1940). Selected solo exhibitions: Carneg...
Category

Early 2000s American Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Paper

Four Color Quartets (Fourth Quartet)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Suite $20,000. Individual Quartets $6,000. First Quartet 35 in. x 35 in. Second Quartet 35 in. x 45 in. Third Quartet 45 in. x 35 in. Fourth Quartet 45 in. x 45 in. Signed and ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Kvetch" monoprint in oil with collage, engraving and embossment by Mel Bochner
By Mel Bochner
Located in Boca Raton, FL
"Kvetch" monoprint in oil with collage, engraving and embossment on handmade paper by artist Mel Bochner from Two Palms Publishing. Signed and dated Bochner 2021 lower right recto. I...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving

"Gobbledygook" monoprint with collage, engraving and embossment by Mel Bochner
By Mel Bochner
Located in Boca Raton, FL
"Gobbledygook" monoprint with collage, engraving and embossment on hand-dyed Twinrocker handmade paper from Two Palms Publishing. Signed and dated Bochner 2017 lower right recto. Ima...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving

Mel Bochner UNTITLED Screenprint
By Mel Bochner
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Mel Bochner (American, 1940-2025) Marking(s); notes: signed; ed. 15/100; 1990 Materials: screenprint on heavy wove paper Dimensions (H, W, D): 48"h, 48...
Category

20th Century Abstract Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Four Color Quartets (Third Quartet)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Suite $20,000. Individual Quartets $6,000. Signed and dated on verso. First Quartet 35 in. x 35 in. Second Quartet 35 in. x 45 in. Third Quartet 45 in. x 35 in. Fourth Quartet ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Lithograph

Four Color Quartets, Abstract Lithograph by Mel Bochner
By Mel Bochner
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Mel Bochner, American (1940 - ) Title: Four Color Quartets Year: 1990 Medium: Four Lithographs, signed and numbered verso Edition: 8/35 Overall Size...
Category

1990s Conceptual Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Lithograph

Four Color Quartets (First Quartet)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Suite $20,000. Individual Quartets $6,000. First Quartet 35 in. x 35 in. Second Quartet 35 in. x 45 in. Third Quartet 45 in. x 35 in. Fourth Quartet 45 in. x 45 in. Signed and ...
Category

1990s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Lithograph

Four Color Quartets (Second Quartet)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Suite $20,000. Individual Quartets $6,000. First Quartet 35 in. x 35 in. Second Quartet 35 in. x 45 in. Third Quartet 45 in. x 35 in. Fourth Quartet 45 in. x 45 in Signed and d...
Category

1990s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Lithograph

Second Quartet: Black and White, State II
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Signed and dated on verso. Mel Bochner is recognized as one of the leading figures in the development of Conceptual art in New York in the 1960s and 1970s. Emerging at a time when p...
Category

Late 20th Century Conceptual Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Lithograph

Head Honcho, 2012
By Mel Bochner
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Mel Bochner's Head Honcho, 2012, is a unique monoprint that exemplifies his exploration of language's power and ambiguity. This work is part of his ongoing series inspired by thesaur...
Category

2010s Conceptual Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving, Monoprint

HA
By Mel Bochner
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Mel Bochner, unique monoprint
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Monoprint, Oil

HA
HA
Price Upon Request
Related Items
Pink Sunshine
By Beatriz Milhazes
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: Beatriz Milhazes Title: Pink Sunshine Year: 2021 Medium: Lithograph on Fabriano Disegno 5 paper Sheet: 18 3/4 × 23 in (47.6 × 58.42 cm) Edition: 100; signed and numbered in pencil (verso) Condition: Mint. Certificate of Authenticity included Beatriz Milhazes is a Brazilian artist whose brilliant paintings and prints draw from local tradition. Brazilian Baroque...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Lithograph

Pink Sunshine
$3,900 Sale Price
35% Off
H 18.75 in W 23 in
Bright & Colorful French Impressionist Oil Painting, Orange & Yellow Flowers
Located in Cirencester, GB
Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) oil on canvas, unframed 21.5 x 18 inches signed front and back condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have by this artist have come fro...
Category

20th Century Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Other

Dahlias by Gary Bukovnik, 2001 (bouquet of flowers in vase)
By Gary Bukovnik
Located in New York, NY
This image features a colorful arrangement of pink, red and purple flowers by American artist, Gary Bukovnik. Bukovnik is an internationally acclaimed painter and printmaker who prim...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Silver Flowers, March 3, 2011
By Donald Sultan
Located in New York, NY
Silver Flowers, March 3, 2011 Silkscreen with hand applied black Silica on Sauders Waterford paper, 410gm hot press 38 x 38 inches edition of 75 Print also available in Gold...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Tea for two – Tod
By Harry Bunce
Located in Deddington, GB
Tea for two – Tod by Harry Bunce [2017] limited_edition Screen Print Edition number 146 Image size: H:25 cm x W:31 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:41 cm x W:49 cm x D:0.3cm Sol...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Paper, Screen

Tea for two – Tod
$205
H 16.15 in W 19.3 in D 0.04 in
Celadon Muse
By Brice Marden
Located in New York, NY
Brice Marden Celadon Muse 2003 Two color etching / one color lithograph 22 x 30 inches; 56 x 76 cm Edition of 45 Signed, dated, and numbered in graphite (lower recto) Frame available...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Etching, Lithograph

Celadon Muse
Celadon Muse
$20,000
H 22 in W 30 in
"The Wait" 2020 signed original limited edition silkscreen 12x18in abstract
By Ray Smith
Located in Miami, FL
Ray Smith (United States, 1959) 'La Espera', 2020 Silkscreen on paper. Edition of 50 11.7 x 17.8 in. (29.5 x 45 cm.) Ref: SMI-101 Ray Smith (American, b.1959) Born in Brownsville, T...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Ink, Screen

Lance Lawlor Lithograph "Design in Black & White" Geometric Abstract
Located in Detroit, MI
"Design in Black & White" is a lithograph by the well-known Michigan designer Lance Lawlor. He was a Master of linear and decorative design and this print displays the talent for which he was sought after. Lance Stephen Lawlor was born January 6, 1955, in Detroit, Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan, graduating with a BFA in 1975 from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design. He was a student of world renown costume designers of the 1930s-1950s, especially Adrian Adolph...
Category

1990s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Lithograph

Signed Figural Abstract Aquatint Colored Etching
Located in Chicago, IL
Vivid color and intricate design are the focal points of this aquatint colored etching print numbered 2 of 4. Signed I.P.I.
Category

1970s American Vintage Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Metal

Acrobat, by Jill Moser (marine blue abstract screen print)
By Jill Moser
Located in New York, NY
One screen print in colors on wove paper, 2009, signed in pencil, dated and numbered, Edition of 117 (total edition includes 18 artist's proofs), image: 769 by 769 mm 30 1/4 by 30 1/...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Bright & Colorful French Impressionist Oil Painting, Seagulls Over Mountains
Located in Cirencester, GB
Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) oil on board, unframed 7 x 9.5 inches signed front and back condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have by this artist have come from t...
Category

20th Century Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Other

Plaza by Eduardo Paolozzi geometric pop art black and white surrealist
By Eduardo Paolozzi
Located in New York, NY
Plaza by Eduardo Paolozzi is an exemplar of early pop art dynamism. Printed in black and white and packed with geometric forms, the composition contains references to maps, machinery...
Category

1960s Pop Art Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Previously Available Items
"Amazing" framed, signed limited edition etching on paper by artist Mel Bochner
By Mel Bochner
Located in Boca Raton, FL
"Amazing" framed etching in 18 colors on paper by artist Mel Bochner. Numbered 22/30 and signed and dated Bochner '22 lower right recto. Text says: "AMAZING! AWE-SOME! BREATH-TAKING!...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Paper, Etching

'Blah Blah Blah' Unique work, 2024
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
'Blah Blah Blah', 2024 is a unique work by Mel Bochner, with dimensions 71.875 x 48.875 in., and signed by the Artist. This monoprint is published by Two Palms, New York. Mel Bochner...
Category

2010s Conceptual Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Handmade Paper, Monoprint

Blah, Blah, Blah, 2024
By Mel Bochner
Located in Palo Alto, CA
The background consists of bright colors. The letters laid upon the top are built in 3-dimension of oil paint in solid, strong colors. The embossed letters are executed in a capitalized and uniform type face with rounded corners and crisp edges. The pigment of the oil paint glows in hues of pink, orange, purple and yellow. The repeated word occupies the expanse of the image as if composed within a linear grid. Throughout this grid, Bochner plays with the levels of contrast, heightening the intensity in certain sections, and reducing the degree in other areas. The colorful monoprint is not only fun to look at, but carries and air of gaiety around the subject of fine art – something that is so often considered all too serious. Bochner uses powerful words to make the viewer think about how they “ascribe character and feelings to things, even the inanimate, that have none.” He seeks to incite a reaction in the viewer, and certainly the use of such color and such bold language will no doubt do the trick. Created in 2024, this monoprint with collage, engraving and embossment on hand-dyed Twinrocker handmade paper is hand signed and dated by Mel Bochner (Pittsburgh, 1940 - ) in pencil in the lower recto. Mel Bochner Blah...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Monoprint

Ha Ha Ha, 2024
By Mel Bochner
Located in Palo Alto, CA
The background consists of bright colors. The letters laid upon the top are built in 3-dimension of oil paint in solid, strong colors. The embossed letters are executed in a capitali...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Monoprint

Crazy over the top (With background Noise)
By Mel Bochner
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Bochner, Mel Title: Crazy over the top (With background Noise) Date: 2018 Medium: Screenprint in colors with black gloss ink on wove paper Unframed Dimensions: 21.7" x 2...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

'Blah, Blah, Blah' Limited Edition Black and Grey Conceptual Screen Print, 2022
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
‘Blah, Blah, Blah’ is an eye-catching silkscreen print with color-shifting ink by contemporary artist Mel Bochner. This piece was created in 2022 and is part of a limited Edition of ...
Category

2010s Conceptual Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Screen

Blah, Blah, Blah
By Mel Bochner
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Mel Bochner Blah, Blah, Blah, 2023 is a quintessential offering from American conceptualist, Mel Bochner, balancing and the artificial and organic nat...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving, Monoprint

Blah, Blah, Blah
By Mel Bochner
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Rich colors stand out upon your first glance at Mel Bochner's Blah, Blah, Blah. The background consists of bright colors. The letters laid upon the top are built in 3-dimension of oi...
Category

2010s Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving, Monoprint

Scoundrel
By Mel Bochner
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Bochner, Mel Title: Scoundrel Date: 2011 Medium: Monoprint with collage, engraving and embossment on hand-dyed Twinrocker handmade paper Unframed Dimensions: 12" x 9" Fr...
Category

2010s Contemporary Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Monoprint, Engraving

Mel Bochner 'Blah Blah Blah' Unique work, 2023
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Mel Bochner 'Blah Blah Blah' Unique work, 2023 is signed in pencil on front by the Artist. This mono print is a one-of-kind unique work by Mel Bochner. Mel Bochner is recognized as...
Category

2010s Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Pigment

Mel Bochner 'Is This It?' Cast and Pigmented Paper, 2023
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
'Is This It?' by Mel Bochner is a one of a kind piece made of Cast, Pigment, and Handmade paper. The three dimensional letters cover the brightly colored composition. Perhaps best kn...
Category

2010s Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Handmade Paper, Pigment

Oh Well
By Mel Bochner
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Mel Bochner Oh Well, 2022 is a bold and visually appealing work of art that captures immediately captures your attention. This striking piece conjures up a soothing sensation yet the...
Category

2010s Conceptual Mel Bochner Art

Materials

Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving, Monotype

Oh Well
Oh Well
H 36.25 in W 98.25 in

Mel Bochner art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Mel Bochner art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, red and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Mel Bochner in lithograph, etching, engraving and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Mel Bochner art, so small editions measuring 8 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Peter Voulkos, George Condo, and McArthur Binion. Mel Bochner art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $295 and tops out at $50,000, while the average work can sell for $20,000.

Artists Similar to Mel Bochner

Recently Viewed

View All