Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Various Artists, Matthew Abbott, Nicole Eisenman, Jonathan Seliger, Ava Gerber Sean Mellyn. It dates from 1997 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled is a portfolio of five distinct prints, each employing a different intaglio or mixed-media technique, produced collectively in 1997.
Untitled is a portfolio of five distinct prints, each employing a different intaglio or mixed-media technique, produced collectively in 1997. The works include aquatint, embossing, photogravure, etching, photoetching with woodcut, and screenprint with collage. The portfolio is held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and represents a collaborative effort among multiple artists, with no single authorship assigned to the entire set.
Subject & Meaning
One print in the series features a plain grey field with a centered white oval containing the dimensions '20"x15"' in white lettering. A small silver bow appears on the right edge, introducing a subtle, almost ironic gesture of presentation or decoration. The work resists symbolic narrative, instead drawing attention to the materiality and framing of art objects, questioning how value and meaning are constructed through presentation.
Technique & Style
Each print in the portfolio demonstrates a unique printmaking process: embossing creates tactile relief, photogravure yields tonal gradations, etching and photoetching produce fine linear detail, woodcut adds bold texture, and screenprint with collage introduces layered, non-traditional elements. The combination of methods reflects a deliberate exploration of print’s technical boundaries, emphasizing process over unified imagery.
History & Provenance
The portfolio was produced in 1997 as a limited edition, likely for exhibition or institutional acquisition. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation. While individual contributors include Nicole Eisenman and other artists, the project was organized as a group endeavor without a single dominant author, reflecting collaborative practices common in late-1990s print workshops.
Context
Created during a period of renewed interest in printmaking’s conceptual potential, the portfolio responds to debates around authorship, reproduction, and the dematerialization of the art object. Its use of mixed techniques and collage aligns with broader postmodern inquiries into the instability of meaning and the role of the artist as producer rather than sole creator.
Legacy
Untitled remains a quiet but significant example of late-1990s collaborative printmaking, illustrating how technical experimentation can challenge conventional notions of the singular artwork. Its inclusion in MoMA’s collection underscores its role in documenting the evolving relationship between process, collaboration, and institutional recognition in contemporary print culture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Various Artists, Matthew Abbott, Nicole Eisenman, Jonathan Seliger, Ava Gerber Sean Mellyn
Sean Mellyn, Various Artists, Matthew Abbott, Nicole Eisenman, Jonathan Seliger, Ava Gerber was an American) () (British) (American) (American) (American artist.
