Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Daniel Serra-Badué. It dates from 1985 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1985, this untitled lithograph by Daniel Serra‑Badué belongs to the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. The work presents two stark, angular forms pressed against a light field, evoking the impression of shadows attempting to ascend a wall. Its stark simplicity marks a departure from the artist’s earlier, more representational output.
Subject & Meaning
The composition suggests a moment of arrested motion, a visual metaphor for an “impossible step.” The jagged silhouettes appear caught in a suspended effort, conveying tension without narrative detail. By reducing the scene to pure shape, Serra‑Badué invites viewers to contemplate the struggle inherent in movement itself.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the piece employs the medium’s capacity for bold contrast and crisp line work. The dark, irregular shapes emerge from a pale ground through careful manipulation of the stone surface, emphasizing the raw, graphic quality that distinguishes the artist’s late‑period printmaking.
History & Provenance
Serra‑Badué produced this work toward the end of his career, after decades focused on Cuban street scenes and portraiture. It forms part of a series titled *The Impossible Step*, reflecting a thematic shift toward abstraction. The lithograph entered MoMA’s holdings, where it remains on view as part of the museum’s modern print collection.
Context
The piece illustrates a broader trend among late‑20th‑century artists who turned to print media to explore minimal forms and conceptual ideas. Within Serra‑Badué’s oeuvre, it signals a move away from narrative content toward an emphasis on formal tension, aligning with contemporary explorations of the limits of visual representation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Daniel Serra-Badué (1914–1996) was a Cuban artist, born in Santiago de Cuba.
