Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by James Brooks. It dates from 1975 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1975, this untitled work by James Brooks is a screenprint that forms part of a mixed-media portfolio comprising five lithographs and screenprints, three collotypes, three screenprints, and two lithographs. The piece is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and exemplifies Brooks’s ongoing investigation of abstract composition through printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents no recognizable subject; instead, it consists of expansive, irregular fields of bright yellow, deep blue, red, and green set against a predominantly white ground. The layered, smeared shapes generate a dynamic visual rhythm, inviting viewers to experience color and form as autonomous elements rather than narrative representations.
Technique & Style
Executed by screenprinting, the work employs a stencil that permits ink to pass through in uneven, splattered marks. This method allows Brooks to achieve a painterly spontaneity within the reproducible medium, merging the gestural vigor of his abstract expressionist background with the precision of print production.
History & Provenance
James Brooks, an American abstract expressionist noted for painting, mural work, and teaching, received the Logan Medal of the Arts during his career. The screenprint entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings as part of the broader portfolio, reflecting the institution’s interest in documenting his experimental print practices alongside his larger oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
James David Brooks (October 18, 1906 – March 9, 1992) was an American Abstract Expressionist, muralist, abstract painter, art teacher, and winner of the Logan Medal of the Arts.
