Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Arthur Secunda. It dates from 1965 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Known for working across painting, sculpture, and graphic media, Secunda engaged with contemporary art networks, including the mail art scene.
Arthur Secunda produced this lithograph in 1965 as part of his exploration of printmaking. Known for working across painting, sculpture, and graphic media, Secunda engaged with contemporary art networks, including the mail art scene. This work belongs to a series that helped establish his presence in postwar American print culture and is held in institutional collections such as The Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition juxtaposes a fragmented, shadowed face at the upper register with a layered collage below. Urban fragments—a street scene, a figure in a white shirt, a car, and three walking men—suggest a dislocated cityscape. The imagery resists linear narrative, instead evoking the disjointed rhythms of modern life through visual fragmentation and overlapping textures.
Technique & Style
Secunda employed lithography to layer photographic fragments and abstract marks, creating a tactile contrast between the dense black upper field and the lighter, collaged lower section. The technique allowed for subtle tonal variations and a sense of depth, blending mechanical reproduction with hand-altered elements. The result is a graphic tension between clarity and obscurity.
History & Provenance
Created during a period of active experimentation in printmaking, this lithograph emerged from Secunda’s participation in alternative art circuits. It was likely circulated through mail art networks, reflecting his correspondence with figures like Ray Johnson. The work entered institutional holdings through acquisitions that recognized his contributions to experimental print practices of the 1960s.
Context
In mid-1960s America, artists increasingly turned to print and collage to challenge traditional boundaries between high and low culture. Secunda’s work aligns with this shift, incorporating found imagery and non-traditional composition. His engagement with mail art positioned him within a decentralized network that prioritized exchange over exhibition, expanding the reach of avant-garde practices.
Legacy
Secunda’s lithographs from this era contributed to the legitimization of collage-based printmaking within modern art institutions. While not widely known to the public, his work influenced peers and students through its integration of urban imagery and experimental technique. His role in mail art and printmaking remains a quiet but significant thread in the history of postwar American art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Arthur Secunda (November 12, 1927, Jersey City, New Jersey – August 30, 2022) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker.
