Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor print by Enrique Chagoya. It dates from 2010 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2010, this print by Enrique Chagoya combines etching, aquatint, and drypoint with hand-applied watercolor and acrylic.
Created in 2010, this print by Enrique Chagoya combines etching, aquatint, and drypoint with hand-applied watercolor and acrylic. The work resides in The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Its layered technique produces a dense, textured surface where ink and pigment interact to suggest movement and ambiguity. The composition resists singular interpretation, inviting viewers to navigate its crowded, surreal space.
Subject & Meaning
A horned, winged figure observes a floating face through a telescope, while dancing, hairy forms interact with a child and a monkey below. A suited man stands rigidly beside a cat to the right. The imagery draws from myth, pop culture, and political allegory, suggesting a collision of belief systems and power structures. The watched face may symbolize surveillance, while the chaotic gathering implies cultural hybridity and fractured identity.
Technique & Style
Chagoya layered etching and aquatint to create rich tonal gradients, then added drypoint for sharp, scratchy lines. Watercolor and acrylic were applied selectively, intensifying hues against the paper’s rough texture. The result merges traditional printmaking with expressive, almost graffiti-like interventions. The yellow wash unifies the scene, enhancing its dreamlike, disorienting quality without resolving its narrative.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in 2010 and entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly thereafter. It is part of a broader body of prints by Chagoya that interrogate colonialism, globalization, and cultural memory. No earlier exhibition or private ownership history is publicly documented, but its acquisition by MoMA signals its recognition within contemporary print discourse.
Context
Chagoya’s practice emerges from his experience as a Mexican-American artist navigating dual cultural identities. This print reflects his interest in juxtaposing indigenous, religious, and Western iconographies. The work aligns with late 20th- and early 21st-century trends in postcolonial art that challenge linear histories and embrace visual polyphony as a form of resistance.
Legacy
Untitled contributes to Chagoya’s reputation for using printmaking to explore layered cultural narratives. Its inclusion in MoMA’s collection affirms its role in expanding the boundaries of contemporary print. The work continues to be referenced in discussions about hybridity, visual literacy, and the politics of representation in global art practices.
Artist & collection
Artist
Enrique Chagoya is a Mexican-born American painter, printmaker, and educator. The subject of his artwork is the changing nature of culture. He frequently uses shocking imagery, irony, and Mesoamerican icons to convey…
