Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Christopher Williams. It dates from 1996 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
The image is part of a poster for a 1996 event in Dakar, listing names like Miles Coolidge and Catherine David.
This is a black-and-white photo of a woman’s face looking straight at you. She’s wearing dark lipstick and a necklace with a small pendant. Her hair is styled neatly, and there’s a slight smile on her lips.
The image is part of a poster for a 1996 event in Dakar, listing names like Miles Coolidge and Catherine David. The text says *S’HABILLENT* and includes a phone number.
Look up lithography to see how this kind of print was made.
Overview
This black-and-white offset lithograph, produced in 1996 by American artist Christopher Williams, is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. It functions as a promotional poster for a 1996 event in Dakar, blending photographic imagery with typographic information. Williams, known for his conceptual engagement with image production, uses the format of commercial printing to interrogate how meaning is constructed through visual and textual cues.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts a woman facing the viewer directly, her expression subtly composed—a faint smile, neatly styled hair, dark lipstick, and a small pendant necklace. Her presence is neither candid nor staged in a traditional sense; instead, she appears as a constructed figure within a system of representation. The image’s function as event advertising frames her as both participant and artifact, raising questions about agency and visibility in curated contexts.
Technique & Style
Produced via offset lithography, the print replicates photographic tone through halftone screening, a process common in mass-produced posters. The grayscale rendering emphasizes texture and contrast without color, reinforcing a detached, documentary aesthetic. Williams’ choice of this mechanical reproduction method aligns with his broader interest in the material conditions of image dissemination, distancing the work from notions of originality or artistic hand.
History & Provenance
Created for a 1996 cultural event in Dakar, the poster lists participants including Miles Coolidge and Catherine David, situating the work within a specific moment of international artistic exchange. The inclusion of a phone number suggests its original use as a functional advertisement. The work entered MoMA’s collection as part of a broader institutional interest in artists who interrogate the infrastructure of visual culture.
Context
Williams’ practice emerged from a post-conceptual tradition that examines how photography operates within institutional, commercial, and political frameworks. This poster reflects his engagement with the aesthetics of exhibition design and the role of language in shaping perception. The French title *S’HABILLENT* (They Dress Themselves) adds a layer of ambiguity, hinting at self-representation, performance, or even the act of curating identity.
Legacy
The work contributes to a body of practice that redefines photography not as a medium of truth, but as a system of codes and protocols. By embedding the image within a utilitarian format, Williams invites scrutiny of how meaning is assigned through context. His approach has influenced subsequent generations of artists who treat the archive, the poster, and the catalog as sites of critical inquiry.
Artist & collection
Artist
Christopher Williams (born 1956 in Los Angeles) is an American conceptual artist and fine-art photographer who lives in Cologne and works in Düsseldorf.
