Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Carmen Herrera. It dates from 2018 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 2018, this lithographic work consists of three joined sheets that together present a stark composition of geometric forms.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2018, this lithographic work consists of three joined sheets that together present a stark composition of geometric forms. The piece is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s long‑standing engagement with minimal abstraction.
Subject & Meaning
The image is reduced to a bright yellow square containing a single green triangle centered within it, its apex pointing upward. The absence of shading or additional detail forces the viewer to consider the relationship between the two basic shapes and their color contrast.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the work relies on the stone‑or‑metal printing process to achieve crisp, uniform edges and flat color fields. The artist’s restrained palette—limited to two saturated hues—reinforces the clean, hard‑edge aesthetic that defines her geometric approach.
History & Provenance
Carmen Herrera, born in Havana in 1915 and later based in New York, produced this piece after decades of developing her signature minimalist language. Although broader recognition arrived late in her career, the work was acquired by MoMA, securing its place in a major public collection.
Context
The composition aligns with mid‑20th‑century minimalist tendencies that emphasized reduction, industrial processes, and the primacy of form over representation. Herrera’s practice, rooted in the New York art scene of the 1950s onward, reflects these concerns through an uncompromising visual economy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carmen Herrera (May 31, 1915 – February 12, 2022) was a Cuban-born American abstract, minimalist visual artist and painter.
