Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Jaap Berghuis. It dates from 1980 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
On the right side, there’s a title—*bulletin 120*—and a small list of names and an address.
This is a blank white page with just a few black text blocks. On the right side, there’s a title—*bulletin 120*—and a small list of names and an address. At the bottom, two names appear: *adriaan van ravestein* and *stanley brouwn*. The left side is completely empty, except for a thin black line at the very bottom.
The paper looks like it’s folded in half, with the text printed on the inside. The date *11.11 - 6.12.1980* is tucked near the bottom, along with hours for an event.
This is an example of an artist’s flyer or announcement, not a traditional painting. Check out *lithography* to see how this kind of printing works.
Overview
Created in 1980, this offset lithograph by Dutch artist Jaap Berghuis consists of a single sheet of paper folded in half. The interior surface bears sparse black typographic elements on a white background, while the exterior remains largely blank. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it is catalogued as an example of printed ephemera.
Subject & Meaning
The piece functions as a reproduced event flyer, presenting a title—bulletin 120—followed by a brief roster of names, an address, and a date range (11 November–6 December 1980) with accompanying hours. The stark minimalism foregrounds the informational content, inviting viewers to consider the boundary between functional announcement and artistic object.
Technique & Style
Executed as an offset lithograph, the image was produced by transferring ink from a stone or metal plate onto a rubber blanket before printing onto the paper. The artist’s choice of a simple black typeface on a white field emphasizes the mechanical qualities of the medium, aligning the work with conceptual practices that foreground process over pictorial representation.
History & Provenance
After its creation, the lithograph entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it has been retained as part of the institution’s holdings of late‑20th‑century print media. Its acquisition reflects MoMA’s interest in documenting the intersection of graphic design, advertising, and fine art during the 1980s.
Context
Berghuis’s practice often explored the visual language of everyday documents, recontextualizing mundane formats as art. This work aligns with broader trends in the 1970s and 1980s where artists appropriated printed matter—flyers, notices, and catalogs—to question authorship, distribution, and the role of the viewer in interpreting textual information.
Artist & collection
