Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Jennifer Bartlett. It dates from 1978 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1978, this drypoint print by American artist Jennifer Bartlett consists of a rectangular field divided into forty‑eight equal squares. The composition is split down the middle: the left side presents a repetitive motif of feather‑like forms rendered in blues, whites and browns, while the right side is dominated by a dark gray lattice intersected by thin white lines and scattered dots.
Subject & Meaning
The left-hand grid functions as a visual inventory of stylized feathers, each rendered with subtle tonal shifts that suggest both natural variation and systematic repetition. Opposite, the abstract network of lines and points on the right evokes a sense of kinetic energy, establishing a dialogue between representational detail and non‑representational gesture.
Technique & Style
Executed with drypoint, Bartlett incised the image directly onto a metal plate, allowing the characteristic burr of the medium to produce soft, velvety lines. The work merges the disciplined, grid‑based approach associated with conceptual art with the more tactile, expressive mark‑making typical of Neo‑Expressionist painting.
History & Provenance
The print emerged during a period when Bartlett was exploring the intersection of systematic structures and painterly intuition, preceding her later series of large steel‑plate works. It entered the artist’s catalogue of prints in the late 1970s and has since been held in several public collections that focus on post‑minimal and conceptual practices.
Context
In the late 1970s, artists were increasingly interrogating the boundaries between drawing, printmaking, and painting. Bartlett’s use of a strict grid alongside hand‑drawn motifs reflects contemporary debates about authorship, repetition, and the role of the artist’s hand within mechanically ordered formats.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jennifer Bartlett (née Losch; March 14, 1941 – July 25, 2022) was an American artist and novelist.
