Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Alun Leach-Jones. It dates from 1987 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1987, this screenprint by Alun Leach-Jones is part of a broader body of work spanning painting, drawing, and printmaking. The artist, born in Britain and active in Australia, employed screenprinting to explore layered abstraction. The piece is held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, reflecting its place within late 20th-century experimental print practices.
Subject & Meaning
A nested structure of squares and a central circle frames a dense network of black lines, suggesting movement without narrative.
The work presents no recognizable subject, instead arranging geometric and gestural elements to evoke visual tension. A nested structure of squares and a central circle frames a dense network of black lines, suggesting movement without narrative. The ambiguity of the marks resists interpretation, inviting contemplation of form over meaning, aligning with abstract traditions that prioritize perception over representation.
Technique & Style
Screenprinting allowed precise layering of flat, saturated colors—dark teal, navy, and light blue—creating subtle depth through contrast rather than perspective. The inner black linework, applied with a hand-drawn urgency, contrasts with the mechanical precision of the colored fields. This interplay between control and spontaneity defines the piece’s visual rhythm, characteristic of Leach-Jones’s approach to printmaking.
History & Provenance
The work was produced during a period when Leach-Jones was actively engaged in printmaking, following decades of exploration across media. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection as part of its commitment to documenting international print practices of the 1980s. Its provenance remains tied to the artist’s studio and subsequent institutional acquisition, with no known prior private ownership.
Context
Emerging from Australia’s postwar art scene, Leach-Jones engaged with international abstraction while maintaining a distinct regional voice. In the 1980s, many artists revisited geometric forms and process-driven techniques, responding to conceptual and minimalist precedents. This screenprint reflects that moment, balancing formal rigor with intuitive mark-making in a climate receptive to non-representational inquiry.
Legacy
Leach-Jones’s prints, including this work, contribute to a broader recognition of Australian printmakers within global modernist discourse. His integration of layered color and gestural line influenced later generations interested in the intersection of structure and spontaneity. The piece remains a quiet example of how printmaking could sustain abstract inquiry beyond painting’s dominance.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alun Leach-Jones (1937 – 24 December 2017), was a British-born Australian artist known for his range of work covering painting, drawing, sculpture, linocuts, screenprints and etchings.
