Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Hervé Télémaque. It dates from 1972 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled (1972) is a screenprint by Hervé Télémaque, a French artist of Haitian descent, created as part of a diverse portfolio of prints employing various techniques. The work is characterized by a bright red, cartoon-like speech bubble against a black background, containing a small, white, messy scribble.
Subject & Meaning
The composition's elements—a vibrant, isolated speech bubble with an indecipherable scribble—convey a sense of intimacy and mystery, suggesting a private, possibly humorous, communication that the viewer is not fully privy to.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the work showcases Télémaque's exploration of printmaking techniques within a broader portfolio that includes lithographs, etchings, aquatints, and woodcuts, reflecting his association with surrealistic and narrative figuration movements.
History & Provenance
Created in 1972, Untitled is part of a series dedicated to Pablo Picasso. It is now held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.
Context
Télémaque's work, including Untitled, was influenced by his Parisian milieu from 1961 onwards, where he engaged with surrealism and narrative figuration, incorporating layered symbolism and visual playfulness.
Legacy
As part of Télémaque's oeuvre, Untitled contributes to the artist's legacy of blending surrealist and narrative elements, with the piece itself being a testament to the experimental printmaking practices of the early 1970s.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hervé Télémaque (5 November 1937 – 10 November 2022) was a French painter of Haitian origin, associated with the surrealism and the narrative figuration movements. He lived and worked in Paris from 1961 on.
