Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Charline von Heyl. It dates from 2019 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
This print is mostly black with big orange shapes inside. The black lines look rough, like they were drawn fast. The orange parts are flat but uneven, as if paint was scraped on.
The artist signed it in the corner. It’s part of a set of six prints made in 2019.
Check out Charline von Heyl next to see more of her work.
Overview
This 2019 screenprint by Charline von Heyl forms part of a portfolio comprising six works. Executed primarily in black and orange, the composition juxtaposes gestural linework with irregular, flat color fields. The artist’s signature appears in the lower corner, marking its inclusion in a limited series produced that year.
Subject & Meaning
The image resists straightforward narrative or representational reading. Dense black strokes evoke rapid, almost impatient mark-making, while the orange shapes—applied with uneven edges—suggest a deliberate disruption of uniformity. Von Heyl’s approach prioritizes visual tension over symbolic clarity, inviting interpretation through form and process rather than subject.
Technique & Style
Von Heyl employs screenprinting to merge the immediacy of drawing with the mechanical precision of printmaking. The black lines retain the appearance of hasty execution, contrasting with the flat, scraped-on orange areas that disrupt the surface. This interplay of spontaneity and control characterizes her broader practice, blurring distinctions between abstraction and gesture.
History & Provenance
Produced in 2019, this print belongs to a portfolio of six screenprints. It entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, where it is preserved as part of the institution’s holdings of contemporary graphic work. The portfolio reflects von Heyl’s engagement with printmaking during this period, extending her exploration of layered imagery.
Context
Created amid von Heyl’s ongoing investigations into abstraction, this print aligns with her rejection of fixed stylistic categories.
Created amid von Heyl’s ongoing investigations into abstraction, this print aligns with her rejection of fixed stylistic categories. The portfolio’s production coincides with a moment in contemporary art where printmaking served as a site for formal experimentation, challenging traditional hierarchies between mediums. Its inclusion in a major museum collection underscores its role in this discourse.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charline von Heyl is a German abstract painter. She also works with drawing, printmaking, and collage. She moved to the United States in the 1990s, and has studios in New York City and in Marfa, Texas.
