Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Ara Peterson. It dates from 2007 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Peterson’s practice often involves labor-intensive methods and material experimentation, with wood serving as both support and structural element.
Created in 2007, Untitled is one of three screenprints on wood by Ara Peterson, an artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. The work belongs to a series that explores abstraction through repetitive, interwoven forms. Peterson’s practice often involves labor-intensive methods and material experimentation, with wood serving as both support and structural element. This piece is held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts two symmetrical, mask-like faces composed of simplified geometric shapes, circles, ovals, and rectangles. Features such as eyes and mouths are rendered in flat planes of red and brown, outlined with yellow dots and lines. There is no facial expression or narrative detail; the forms suggest ritual or symbolic representation rather than portraiture, evoking a sense of anonymity and structural rhythm.
Technique & Style
Peterson employed screenprinting on wood, a method that emphasizes texture and surface. The flat, unmodulated colors and sharp edges reflect a deliberate reduction of form, akin to graphic design or ancient iconography. The wooden substrate is left visible at the edges, integrating the support into the composition.
The use of mirrored symmetry and limited palette reinforces a sense of balance and repetition central to his aesthetic.
History & Provenance
Peterson, born in 1973 in Boston, developed this work during a period of focused exploration into non-traditional print media. Untitled emerged from a small series of wood-based screenprints made in 2007. It entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art shortly after its creation, reflecting institutional interest in his process-driven approach and the material innovation of his practice.
Context
As a founding member of the art collective Forcefield, Peterson was immersed in collaborative, experimental art circles in the early 2000s. His work during this time responded to broader trends in abstraction and the reexamination of craft-based techniques. The use of wood as a print surface aligned with a wider interest among contemporary artists in reclaiming tactile, non-industrial materials.
Legacy
Peterson’s Untitled exemplifies a quiet but persistent shift in contemporary printmaking toward material awareness and formal minimalism. Its inclusion in MoMA’s collection signals its relevance within a lineage of abstract, process-oriented works. While not widely reproduced, the piece continues to inform discussions on the intersection of craft, repetition, and symbolic form in 21st-century art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ara Peterson (born 1973 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American visual artist. He is known for his music-based films as well as interlaced relief paintings and sculptures, which are rooted in wave patterns and a…
