Untitled

Ward employed screenprinting to lay down flat fields of color and text, then added thermography for raised, tactile lettering. Collaged fragments, likely sourced from discarded publications, introduce varied textures and visual noise. The layering of printed and physical materials creates a dense, almost archaeological surface, reinforcing the theme of accumulation and the residue of daily life in marginalized communities.

The work was produced as part of a limited portfolio in 1999 and entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly thereafter. It has been exhibited in contexts focused on contemporary printmaking and socially engaged art. Ward’s consistent use of found materials and community-sourced imagery has anchored this piece within his long-standing artistic trajectory, rooted in New York City’s urban landscape.

Emerging in the late 1990s, this work responds to heightened visibility of economic disparity and racialized labor in post-industrial America. Ward’s practice draws from his experiences in Harlem, where discarded objects become carriers of collective memory. The inclusion of banking motifs and repetitive faces reflects anxieties around financial systems and the erasure of individual identity within them.

Ward’s integration of collage and mixed media in printmaking expanded the possibilities of the medium beyond traditional boundaries. His work has influenced a generation of artists who use materiality to interrogate power and memory. Recognition through awards such as the Rome Prize and Vilcek Prize underscores his role in shaping contemporary discourse around race, labor, and material culture.