WATTS INDEXThe canonical database of visual culture

Artists›Carl Chiarenza

Carl Chiarenza

Artist

WA-00030533

Photography

Representation

None documented

Institutional Exhibitions

Works in Collection

Assets Indexed

Authority-backed Facts

Publications Referenced

50%

Profile Completeness

Cultural Positioning

Influence Graph

No influence edges encoded yet.

Authority Records (2)

WikidataQ55218368

MoMA

Source Registry (1)

MoMA bulk 2026-05-04https://www.moma.org/artists/7025
Tier 1 · Institutional92%

About

Why this artist matters now

Carl Chiarenza is an American photographer known for abstract and experimental work that emerged from the postwar avant-garde. Working primarily in black and white, he employs photographic techniques including solarization, montage, and unconventional darkroom processes to create compositions that prioritize formal invention over documentary representation. His practice positions photography as a medium for abstract visual inquiry rather than optical recording.

Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 1mo ago

Graph relationships

Taste overlap and adjacency

Movement

—

Medium

Photography

Related Artists

6 in graph

Institutional

Museum Collections

Museum of Modern ArtNew York Art Institute of Chicago

Canonical record

Artworks (19)

WattsOS

Solitudes 118

2004 · Gelatin silver print

12 15/16 × 10" (32.9 × 25.4 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

Untitled Triptych 300

1997 · vintage gelatin silver print

Image: 47.4 x 110.3 cm (18 11/16 x 43 7/16 in.); Mounted: 71 x 137.2 cm (27 15/16 x 54 in.); Matted: 76.2 x 142.2 cm (30 x 56 in.); Image with black margin: 50.4 x 113.7 cm (19 13/16 x 44 3/4 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

WattsOS

Untitled Triptych 195-190-188, 1994

1994 · gelatin silver print, selenium toned

Image: 48.1 x 111 cm (18 15/16 x 43 11/16 in.); Paper: 50.3 x 114.2 cm (19 13/16 x 44 15/16 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

WattsOS

Untitled 295

1994 · vintage gelatin silver print

Image: 91.9 x 123.5 cm (36 3/16 x 48 5/8 in.); Paper: 101.8 x 137.7 cm (40 1/16 x 54 3/16 in.); Matted: 121.9 x 152.4 cm (48 x 60 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

WattsOS

Untitled Triptych 82

1993 · vintage gelatin silver print

Image: 32.7 x 75.3 cm (12 7/8 x 29 5/8 in.); Mounted: 58.3 x 101.3 cm (22 15/16 x 39 7/8 in.); Matted: 76.2 x 101.6 cm (30 x 40 in.); Image with black margin: 35.2 x 77.5 cm (13 7/8 x 30 1/2 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

WattsOS

Untitled 109, 1990

1990 · gelatin silver print, selenium toned

Image: 38.1 x 45.6 cm (15 x 17 15/16 in.); Paper: 40.5 x 50.4 cm (15 15/16 x 19 13/16 in.); Matted: 61 x 71.1 cm (24 x 28 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Untitled 66

1990 · Gelatin silver print

17 1/2 × 13 15/16" (44.5 × 35.4 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

WattsOS

Acropolis 58

1989 · gelatin silver print

Image: 48 x 37.6 cm (18 7/8 x 14 13/16 in.); Mounted: 61 x 50.8 cm (24 x 20 in.); Paper: 50.3 x 40.4 cm (19 13/16 x 15 7/8 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

WattsOS

Noumenon 503

1984 · gelatin silver print (diptych)

Overall: 50.5 x 79.3 cm (19 7/8 x 31 1/4 in.); Matted: 76.2 x 101.6 cm (30 x 40 in.)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Noumenon 377

1984 · Gelatin silver print

11 9/16 × 8 7/8" (29.4 × 22.5 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Charlestown 69

1976 · Gelatin silver print

9 3/4 × 11 15/16" (24.7 × 30.4 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Hudson 1

1975 · Gelatin silver print

11 9/16 × 8 7/8" (29.4 × 22.5 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

The Way to Golgotha, Rockport, MA

1964 · Gelatin silver print

8 × 10" (20.3 × 25.4 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Untitled (CX10), Massachusetts

1964 · Gelatin silver print

9 9/16 × 7 9/16" (24.3 × 19.2 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Whirling Knothole (AX49), Massachusetts

1962 · Gelatin silver print

8 15/16 × 11 7/8" (22.7 × 30.2 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Hooded Tree Spirit, Ipswich, MA

1960 · Gelatin silver print

9 3/8 × 7 7/16" (23.8 × 18.9 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Bat Window, West End, Boston

1958 · Gelatin silver print

8 1/2 × 6 3/4" (21.6 × 17.1 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Painted Target

1958 · Gelatin silver print

10 1/8 × 12 7/16" (25.7 × 31.6 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Chain/Lock/Door

1956 · Gelatin silver print

8 15/16 × 6" (22.7 × 15.2 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

View all 19 artworks →

Artwork sources (3)

19 published of 38 catalogued · 30 with image

MoMA
12 publishedof 24 catalogued23 img
Cleveland Museum of Art
7 published
+ 1 more source · 7 catalogued, not yet published

Per-Artwork Provenance Chains (top 7)

7 entries · 1 sources

Noumenon 503
1984 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Acropolis 58
1989 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Untitled Triptych 195-190-188, 1994
1994 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Untitled 295
1994 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Untitled Triptych 300
1997 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Untitled Triptych 82
1993 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number
Untitled 109, 1990
1990 · Cleveland · 1 prov
Url Pattern Extraction 2026-05-27·accession_number

Relationships

Collections2

Museum of Modern Art Art Institute of Chicago

Institutional

Representation & Collections

In collection

Museum of Modern Art

New York, US

In collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Record

Exhibitions and timeline

No exhibitions or timeline entries yet