Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Don Nice. It dates from 1976 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Rather than employing traditional drawing or fine art printmaking techniques, Nice utilized an industrial office tool to generate the composition.
Created in 1976, Untitled by American artist Don Nice is a work from a portfolio of thirteen pieces produced using rubber stamps. The image depicts a black bear standing on its hind legs with its front paws raised, rendered in stark black ink on a square of paper. Rather than employing traditional drawing or fine art printmaking techniques, Nice utilized an industrial office tool to generate the composition.
This method aligns with his broader practice of incorporating vernacular imagery and mass-produced objects into the fine art sphere, challenging distinctions between high and low culture. The work exemplifies Nice's engagement with Pop Art sensibilities during the 1970s, where he often transformed mundane, everyday items into subjects of artistic contemplation. By repeating the stamping process to create a series, the artist emphasizes the mechanical nature of the image while retaining the unique imperfections inherent in hand-stamped application.
This piece stands as a representative example of Nice's exploration of identity, nature, and the aesthetics of the ordinary within the context of late 20th-century American art.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, a bear rendered in a simplified, logo‑like form, conveys a juxtaposition of the wild and the domestic. Its upright posture and raised paws suggest a pleading or begging gesture, inviting viewers to consider the animal’s vulnerability when reduced to a graphic symbol. The work hints at themes of reduction, representation, and the translation of natural subjects into visual shorthand.
Technique & Style
Nice employed an ordinary office rubber stamp to produce the image, a choice that foregrounds the materiality of mass‑produced tools. The stamp’s black ink yields a crisp, high‑contrast silhouette on white paper, emphasizing flatness and repetition. By presenting the stamp as a fine‑art medium, the work blurs the line between commercial graphic production and artistic expression.
History & Provenance
The piece was produced as part of a thirteen‑image portfolio that Nice assembled in the mid‑1970s, a period marked by an interest in appropriation and everyday objects within contemporary art. The Museum of Modern Art acquired the work, where it remains in the print and drawing department, reflecting the institution’s commitment to documenting experimental print practices of the era.
Artist & collection
