Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Maurice Rheims Jaume Plensa. It dates from 1991 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, a 1991 print combining aquatint and collage, is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. The work presents a monochrome figure in a suit whose head is supplanted by a round pocket watch, set against a backdrop of densely scribbled text. A small caption at the bottom reads “Raza amarilla (Chinos).”
Subject & Meaning
The central motif replaces the sitter’s face with a timepiece, suggesting a conflation of personal identity and the passage of time. The formal attire and the mechanical watch together evoke notions of professionalism, routine, and the inevitable erasure of individuality by temporal measurement.
Technique & Style
The piece employs traditional aquatint, a tonal etching method, to render the figure and background, while integrating cut‑out collage elements that introduce a layered, three‑dimensional quality. The stark black‑and‑white palette emphasizes contrast between the human form and the mechanical object.
History & Provenance
Created in 1991, the work entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings shortly thereafter, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s interest in experimental printmaking that merges graphic and mixed‑media approaches.
Context
Produced at a time when artists were increasingly interrogating the relationship between self and technology, the print aligns with late‑20th‑century concerns about surveillance, commodification of the body, and the mechanization of daily life.
Artist & collection
