Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Edwin Schlossberg. It dates from 2014 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2014, Untitled is a digital print bound as an illustrated book, comprising 44 pages with letterpress text. The work is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Unlike traditional paintings, it uses printed language as its sole visual medium, arranged with deliberate spacing and alignment to guide the viewer’s attention through repetition and minimalism.
Subject & Meaning
The work centers on the phrase 'FROM HERE' repeated across its pages, accompanied by the artist’s name in smaller type. The phrase suggests a point of origin or departure, inviting reflection on perspective and movement. The inclusion of the artist’s name grounds the work in personal authorship, while its repetition transforms the text into a meditative rhythm rather than a declarative statement.
Technique & Style
The use of digital printing combined with traditional letterpress methods merges contemporary and historical techniques.
Each page features black letterpress text on a tan ground, maintaining a restrained palette and uniform layout. The use of digital printing combined with traditional letterpress methods merges contemporary and historical techniques. Text is centered and evenly spaced, emphasizing clarity and order. The absence of imagery or color shifts focus entirely to the typographic form and its physical presence.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in 2014 and entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly thereafter. It reflects Edwin Schlossberg’s long-standing interest in language as a visual and conceptual tool, extending his earlier work in exhibition design and public communication. Its inclusion in MoMA underscores institutional recognition of text-based art as a legitimate medium within contemporary print practice.
Context
Untitled emerges from a broader trend in late 20th- and early 21st-century art where language replaces imagery as the primary vehicle for meaning. Schlossberg’s approach aligns with conceptual practices that prioritize idea over aesthetics, echoing artists like Joseph Kosuth and Lawrence Weiner. The book format further situates the work within the tradition of artist’s books, emphasizing intimacy and sequential experience.
Legacy
The work contributes to an ongoing dialogue about the materiality of text in art. By using book form and letterpress, Schlossberg affirms the physicality of language in an increasingly digital age. Its presence in a major museum collection helps legitimize text-based, non-figurative works as significant contributions to contemporary visual culture, influencing how future artists engage with typography and bookmaking.
Artist & collection
