Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Jack Pierson. It dates from 2000 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2000, this untitled work by Jack Pierson is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. It is presented as a print that incorporates an etching technique, alongside other works in a mixed-media portfolio that includes chromogenic and digital prints, a silver dye‑bleach print, a monotype, and an etching with aquatint.
Subject & Meaning
The image consists of the name “JOHNIE RAY” rendered in stark white lettering against a deep black field. The letters vary in size, typeface, and orientation, some intersecting or truncated, which generates a sense of kinetic energy and playful experimentation with visual language.
Technique & Style
Pierson employed traditional etching methods to incise the composition, then transferred the image onto paper through a printing process. The contrast of luminous white ink on a matte black ground emphasizes the graphic quality of the text, while the irregular typographic treatment reflects a post‑modern interest in de‑construction of signifiers.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in the year 2000 and subsequently entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings, where it is displayed as part of the institution’s print and drawing collection. It forms one component of a larger portfolio that showcases Pierson’s exploration of varied print media.
Context
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Pierson’s practice frequently engaged with language, identity, and the materiality of print. This piece aligns with contemporaneous trends in conceptual art that foreground text as visual form, echoing the influence of earlier artists who used typographic motifs to question narrative and authorship.
Artist & collection
