Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Edwin Schlossberg. It dates from 1981 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Edwin Schlossberg’s 1981 lithograph, untitled, is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. The work consists of a gray, hand‑cut sheet of paper bearing blue typographic elements, including the phrase “WARM MEMORIES” and a secondary line of smaller text. Its surface is treated with a liquid‑crystal solution that reacts to temperature, causing the colors to shift when touched or warmed.
Subject & Meaning
The printed text juxtaposes notions of memory, contact, and imagination, inviting viewers to contemplate how sensory experience can alter recollection. By embedding the phrase “WARM MEMORIES” within a mutable visual field, the piece suggests that memories are not fixed but responsive to external conditions, echoing the work’s own temperature‑dependent behavior.
Technique & Style
Schlossberg combines traditional lithographic printing with a liquid‑crystal coating that changes hue with heat. The base lithograph is produced on gray paper, then overlaid with a solution that becomes transparent or colored as it warms. This hybrid approach merges static printmaking with an interactive, kinetic element, blurring the line between two‑dimensional image and responsive object.
History & Provenance
Created in 1981, the lithograph entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings shortly after its completion, reflecting the institution’s interest in experimental print media of the late twentieth century. Its acquisition underscores MoMA’s commitment to documenting artists who explore the convergence of technology and visual art.
Context
During the early 1980s, artists increasingly incorporated scientific materials and processes into their practice, probing the relationship between viewer, object, and environment. Schlossberg’s use of liquid‑crystal technology aligns with contemporaneous explorations of responsive surfaces, situating the work within a broader movement toward interactive and sensor‑based art.
Artist & collection
