Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Carol Summers. It dates from 1967 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The piece is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s exploration of printmaking variations within a single series.
Created in 1967, this untitled work belongs to a mixed-media portfolio that includes nine screenprints—two augmented with collage, one featuring a die‑cut, and another incorporating punched holes—alongside six lithographs, one of which is embossed, and a single etching. The piece is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s exploration of printmaking variations within a single series.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents two monochrome figures, one upright and one on its knees, intersected by bold red X‑shapes that dominate the composition. A blurred, densely populated backdrop suggests an urban crowd or street scene, while the red crosses appear to obscure or negate the presence of the figures. The solitary textual element, “Kill for Peace,” positioned in the upper left, introduces a stark, paradoxical statement that invites reflection on conflict and reconciliation.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the work incorporates punched holes within the red X elements, giving the surface a tactile, perforated quality. The combination of stark black‑and‑white imagery with vivid red overlays creates a high‑contrast visual language. The deliberate roughness of the punched areas and the blurred background contribute to a sense of immediacy and rawness, characteristic of the artist’s experimental print practices of the late 1960s.
History & Provenance
The piece was produced in 1967 as part of the artist’s broader series of prints that mixed screenprinting, lithography, and etching techniques. It entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains on view, reflecting the institution’s commitment to acquiring works that document the evolution of mid‑century American printmaking.
Context
During the late 1960s, American artists frequently engaged with political and social themes through graphic media, often employing bold colors and stark imagery to comment on contemporary tensions. This work’s juxtaposition of violent symbolism (the red X) with a pacifist slogan mirrors the era’s preoccupation with protest, the Vietnam conflict, and the broader cultural debate over means and ends.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carol Summers was an American printmaker and educator, known for creating works by woodcut process.
