Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Allen Jones. It dates from 1965 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1965, this lithograph by British artist Allen Jones forms part of a small series of screen‑print works. The piece is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies Jones’s interest in combining photographic imagery with painterly interventions.
Subject & Meaning
The composition features three small photographic cut‑outs of a lone figure in a desert landscape, each showing a different stance. The figure, dressed in light clothing and a hat, is set against a vivid blue field, surrounded by stylised cacti and a wavy white band that suggests sand or water, creating a juxtaposition of isolation and artificiality.
Technique & Style
Jones employs a mixed‑media approach, integrating photographic fragments onto a lithographic base and adding hand‑applied paint splashes. The result is a layered surface where the glossy photographic elements appear to float amid gestural colour, blurring the boundary between printmaking and collage.
History & Provenance
The work was produced as part of a portfolio that included ten screen‑prints, one of which incorporates collage elements, and a single lithograph. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings shortly after its creation, reflecting the institution’s early interest in experimental print practices of the 1960s.
Context
During the mid‑1960s, Jones explored the dialogue between mass‑media imagery and fine‑art techniques, a concern shared by many Pop‑art and post‑minimalist artists. The desert motif and fragmented portrait echo contemporary preoccupations with alienation and the commodification of the human figure.
Legacy
While not as widely reproduced as Jones’s sculptural works, this lithograph illustrates his contribution to the development of hybrid print media. It continues to be cited in discussions of 1960s British printmaking and the broader trend of integrating photographic material into traditional print processes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Allen Jones (born 1 September 1937) is a British pop artist best known for his paintings, sculptures, and lithography.
