Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by David Black. It dates from 1954 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
One figure holds a bowl, another leans on a stick, and the others seem to float or stand awkwardly.
This print shows four big, blocky figures in a dark, busy scene. The shapes are rough and flat, with strong black lines against a brown background. One figure holds a bowl, another leans on a stick, and the others seem to float or stand awkwardly. The top has strange, swirling shapes that look like birds or clouds.
The artist used a woodcut method—carving into wood and printing it. The title is just "Untitled," but the year is 1954.
Look up woodcut to see how this print was made.
Overview
Created in 1954, this woodcut by American artist David Black forms part of a twelve‑print series and is presently in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The image presents a densely composed scene dominated by four robust, block‑like figures rendered in stark black against a muted brown field, with abstract aerial forms occupying the upper space.
Subject & Meaning
The composition features a figure clutching a bowl, another propped against a stick, while the remaining two appear to hover or stand in an uneasy posture. The crowded arrangement and the ambiguous, swirling shapes above suggest a narrative of everyday activity intersected by fleeting, perhaps symbolic, elements that resist a single interpretive reading.
Technique & Style
Executed through the traditional woodcut process, Black incised the design into a wooden block, producing bold, unmodulated lines and flat areas of tone. The resulting print emphasizes strong contrasts and a graphic, almost sculptural quality, reflecting the artist’s interest in three‑dimensional form despite the two‑dimensional medium.
History & Provenance
The work was produced as one of twelve prints in a portfolio assembled by Black in the mid‑1950s. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings at an unspecified date, where it remains accessible for study as part of the institution’s modern print collection.
Context
Although primarily known for his later large‑scale sculptures in aluminum and experimental plastics, Black’s early engagement with printmaking demonstrates his exploration of materiality across media. The woodcut’s blocky figures echo the sculptural concerns that would later define his public works, linking his graphic output to his three‑dimensional practice.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Black (May 29, 1928 – September 5, 2023) was an American sculptor known for both, his pioneering, avant-garde use of plastics and his monumental, aluminum, large scale public sculptures.
