Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Lawrence Weiner. It dates from 1990 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The work continues Weiner’s practice of treating language itself as a material object.
Created in 1990, this screenprint by Lawrence Weiner, one of the pivotal artists of 1960s Conceptual Art, places typographic elements within a minimalist graphic field. The composition features a slanted yellow rectangle hovering above a thin blue line, a vertical yellow bar, and a pink horizontal bar, each accompanied by brief German phrases. The work continues Weiner’s practice of treating language itself as a material object.
Subject & Meaning
The text fragments juxtapose maritime and moral imagery: a German sentence translates to “We are ships on the sea,” while another line reads “Babylon was a whore.” By pairing the notion of vessels, symbols of movement and freedom, with a historically loaded accusation, the piece invites reflection on the tension between liberty and burden, travel and transgression.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the piece relies on flat blocks of color, yellow, blue, pink, and stark, hand‑drawn lettering. The simplicity of the shapes and the informal quality of the script emphasize the materiality of the printed surface, allowing the words to function both as visual forms and as semantic content. The medium reinforces Weiner’s interest in the physical presence of language.
Context
Weiner’s career has been defined by the use of text as a sculptural element, often presented in varied formats such as wall installations, signage, and prints. This 1990 work arrives after his early 1970s interventions that foregrounded language, situating the screenprint within a broader trajectory that treats words as objects that can be displayed, moved, and examined in a gallery setting.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lawrence Charles Weiner (February 10, 1942 – December 2, 2021) was an artist born and raised in New York City.
