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.
"Chuckle" signed monoprint in oil on handmade paper by artist Mel Bochner
By Mel Bochner
Located in Boca Raton, FL
"Chuckle" monoprint in oil with collage, engraving and embossment on handmade paper in bright colors by artist Mel Bochner framed in an open white wooden frame. Signed and dated rect...
Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving, Monoprint
$17,500
Mel Bochner, Kick Against the Pricks (Blah Blah Blah) Silkscreen 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...
Screen
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...
Paper
$48,000
"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...
Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving
$29,000
"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...
Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
"Untitled" by Mel Bochner (Red, White, Abstract, Expressionist, Screenprint)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
One screenprint in colors on wove paper, 1984, signed in pencil, dated and numbered from the edition of 144 (total edition includes 18 artist's proofs), 42 3/4 by 35 inches (sheet), ...
Screen
Howl! -- Screen Print, Glitter, Text Art by Mel Bochner
By Mel Bochner
Located in London, GB
Howl!, 2022 Mel Bochner Screenprint with interference ink and glitter Signed and numbered from the edition of 30 Sheet: 81.6 × 48.3 cm (32.1 × 19 in)
Glitter, Screen
Four Color Quartets (First Quartet)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Suite $10,000. Individual Quartets $3,500. 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 ...
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...
Lithograph
Four Color Quartets (Second Quartet)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Suite $10,000. Individual Quartets $3,500. 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...
Lithograph
Four Color Quartets (Third Quartet)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Suite $10,000. Individual Quartets $3,500. 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 ...
Lithograph
Four Quartets Third Quartet
By Mel Bochner
Located in Missouri, MO
Four Quartets Third Quartet, 1990 Mel Bochner (American, b. 1940) Signed and Numbered Verso Lithograph in Four Panels 42 x 34.5 inches 52.25 x 44 inches with frame Mel Bochner, a po...
Lithograph
Four Color Quartets (Fourth Quartet)
By Mel Bochner
Located in New York, NY
Suite $10,000. Individual Quartets $3,000. 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 ...
Lithograph
Price Upon Request
HA
By Mel Bochner
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Monoprint in oil paint with collage, engraving and embossment on hand-dyed handmade paper Signed and dated to lower margin
Monoprint, Oil
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...
Paper, Screen
I Promise To Love You
By Tracey Emin
Located in London, GB
2014 Colour offset lithograph on 250 gsm glossy wove paper 70 x 50 cm Edition of 500 Signed and dated in pen by Tracey Emin Published by Emin International Stored in its original tub...
Paper, Lithograph, Offset
$156
H 38.19 in W 38.19 in
Flowers by Andy Warhol (1964) Art Print – Iconic Pop Art Design
By (after) Andy Warhol
Located in Winterswijk, NL
A bold and vibrant reproduction of Andy Warhol’s iconic 1964 Flowers series, this striking artwork is printed on heavy art paper, showcasing the enduring brilliance of Pop Art. The c...
Paper
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...
Screen
$444Sale Price|40% Off
H 24 in W 18 in
Cultivate Justice (Red) (Activist, Social Justice, Screenprint)
By Shepard Fairey
Located in Kansas City, MO
Shepard Fairey Cultivate Justice (Red) Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper Year: 2021 Size: 24 x 18 inches (60.96 x 45.72 cm) Edition: 400 Signed by Shepard Fairey, dated a...
Screen
Full Set of Hand-Signed Love Neon Posters
By Tracey Emin
Located in London, GB
2014/2015 7 offset lithograph posters Each 70 x 50 cm Edition of 500 Each signed in pen by Tracey Emin Published by Emin International Unframed and in mint condition with the origina...
Paper, Offset
Dance '72
By Sam Gilliam
Located in New York, NY
Color screenprint, 1972. Signed by the artist and dated in pencil, lower right margin. Numbered 24/60 in pencil lower left,. Printed and published by Workshop, Inc., Washington, D...
Screen
$100
H 14 in W 11 in
PHOTOGRAPH - Print on Handmade Paper - Tainan, Taiwan - Street Photography, City
Located in Signal Mountain, TN
This museum-quality photographic print on handmade paper by Carleigh Thomas measures 9 x 6”, and is on a mat that measures 14 x 11”. The photograph was taken in Tainan, Taiwan and is...
Handmade Paper, Photographic Paper, Color
Dance '72
By Sam Gilliam
Located in New York, NY
Color screenprint, 1972. Signed by the artist and dated in pencil, lower right margin. Numbered 24/60 in pencil lower left,. Printed and published by Workshop, Inc., Washington, DC...
Screen
$263Sale Price|24% Off
H 22.25 in W 29.75 in D 0.02 in
Roy Ahlgren 'Allegro' Signed Limited Edition Serigraph Print
By Roy Ahlgren
Located in San Rafael, CA
Roy Ahlgren Allegro, 1986 Serigraph Signed, title and edition in pencil in lower margin Edition 5/100 Sheet: 22 1/4in H x 29 3/4in L (unframed) Ahlgren came to art relatively late ...
Archival Paper, Screen
$1,441
H 9.85 in W 6.3 in D 0.04 in
Jean Dubuffet - Le Hochet - Original Screenprint
By Jean Dubuffet
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Jean Dubuffet Banque de L'Hourloupe Original Card with a title card Original edition of 350 numbered sets with 30 hors commerce Dimensions: 25 x 16 cm Screen printed by Kelpra Studios, London Editions Alecto, London 1967 Jean Dubuffet (1901 - 1985) Jean Dubuffet was born on July 31, 1901, in Le Havre, France. He attended art classes in his youth and in 1918 moved to Paris to study at the Académie Julian, which he left after six months. During this time, Dubuffet met Raoul Dufy, Max Jacob, Fernand Léger, and Suzanne Valadon and became fascinated with Hans Prinzhorn's book on psychopathic art. He traveled to Italy in 1923 and South America in 1924. Then Dubuffet gave up painting for about ten years, working as an industrial draftsman and later in the family wine business. He committed himself to becoming an artist in 1942. Dubuffet's first solo exhibition was held at the Galerie René Drouin, Paris, in 1944; the Pierre Matisse Gallery gave him his first solo show in New York in 1947. During the 1940s, the artist associated with André Breton, Georges Limbour, Jean Paulhan, and Charles Ratton...
Screen
$6,000
H 30 in W 22 in
Christopher Wool 'Untitled' Abstract Expressionist Signed and Numbered Print
By Christopher Wool
Located in San Rafael, CA
Christopher Wool (b. 1955) Untitled, 2006 Screenprint in colors on Rives BFK paper 30 x 22 inches (unframed) P.P. 2/4 (A printer's proof aside from an edition of 40) Signed, numbered...
Screen
Sold
H 20 in W 15 in
Conceptual Art Hand Signed Mel Bochner Lithograph Print Abstract Geometric Ed 30
By Mel Bochner
Located in Surfside, FL
Mel Bochner (American, 1940-2025) Color lithograph (color line photo-engraving on off-white wove paper) Hand signed and numbered in graphite pencil This is a PP (Printers Proof) outs...
Lithograph
Sold
H 20 in W 15 in
Conceptual Art Hand Signed Mel Bochner Lithograph Print Abstract Geometric Ed 30
By Mel Bochner
Located in Surfside, FL
Mel Bochner (American, 1940-2025) Color lithograph (color line photo-engraving on off-white wove paper) Hand signed and numbered in graphite pencil This is a PP (Printers Proof) outs...
Lithograph
Sold
H 20 in W 15 in
Conceptual Art Hand Signed Mel Bochner Lithograph Print Abstract Geometric Ed 30
By Mel Bochner
Located in Surfside, FL
Mel Bochner (American, 1940-2025) Color lithograph (color line photo-engraving on off-white wove paper) Hand signed and numbered in graphite pencil This is a PP (Printers Proof) outs...
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...
Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving, Monoprint
Sold
H 40 in W 31 in D 2.5 in
"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!...
Paper, Etching
Mel Bochner "Crazy (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...
Screen
'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...
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...
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...
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...
Screen
Sold
H 74 in W 54 in
'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 ...
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...
Oil, Handmade Paper, Engraving, Monoprint