Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Chryssa (Vardea-Mavromichali). It dates from 1978 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1978, this untitled work belongs to a series of twenty screenprints that the artist produced, two of which also incorporated lithographic techniques. It presents a stark visual contrast: two irregular white rectangles arranged vertically against a muted gray field, all set within a subtle lighter border.
Subject & Meaning
The composition relies on minimal elements—a pair of jagged, white forms that suggest fragmentation or interruption within an otherwise uniform surface. The uneven edges generate a sense of movement, inviting viewers to consider the tension between simplicity and dynamism.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the piece employs a limited palette of white on gray, emphasizing the graphic qualities of line and shape. The crisp edges of the border and the textured, broken contours of the rectangles demonstrate the artist’s control of the medium’s capacity for both precision and subtle irregularity.
History & Provenance
The artist, born in Greece in 1933, began her career in New York City during the mid‑1950s before later establishing a studio in Athens in 1992. This print reflects her ongoing investigation of visual light and form, extending her practice beyond three‑dimensional neon and steel works into the realm of two‑dimensional printmaking.
Context
Within the broader portfolio, the work aligns with the artist’s experimental approach to light and material, translating the luminous qualities of her sculptural pieces into the flat, tonal language of screenprinting. The series as a whole explores how graphic abstraction can evoke the same visual intensity found in her neon installations.
Artist & collection
Artist
Chryssa Vardea-Mavromichali (Greek: Χρυσά Βαρδέα-Μαυρομιχάλη; December 31, 1933 – December 23, 2013) was a Greek American artist who worked in a wide variety of media.
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