Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Jerry Kearns. It dates from 1998 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
The artist used a method called screenprinting, where ink is pushed through a stencil to create the image.
This is a black-and-white portrait of a young man in a collared shirt and tie. His jacket has two chest pockets, and his pants are tucked into belt loops. The background is a plain, light blue color. The lines are sketchy, like a pencil drawing, but it’s actually a printed image.
The artist used a method called screenprinting, where ink is pushed through a stencil to create the image. This piece is part of a small set of prints the artist made in 1998.
Check out more about lithography, the printing technique behind this work.
Overview
Untitled is a 1998 screenprint by Jerry Kearns, part of a limited portfolio of seven prints, including works with collage and watercolor additions. Though often mistaken for a lithograph, the image is produced through screenprinting, a technique involving ink pushed through a stencil. The piece is held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art and reflects the artist’s interest in portraiture and printed media.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts a young man dressed formally in a collared shirt, tie, and jacket with two chest pockets. His pants are tucked into belt loops, suggesting a deliberate, perhaps constrained, presentation. The neutral blue background isolates the figure, emphasizing his stillness. The sketchy, hand-drawn quality of the lines conveys intimacy rather than precision, inviting contemplation of identity and social performance.
Technique & Style
Kearns employed screenprinting to achieve the image’s distinctive texture, mimicking the spontaneity of pencil on paper. The monochrome palette and loose, irregular lines contrast with the mechanical nature of the medium, creating a tension between control and gesture. Despite the precision of screenprinting, the result feels informal, as if capturing a fleeting moment rather than a posed likeness.
History & Provenance
Created in 1998, Untitled belongs to a small, cohesive portfolio produced by Jerry Kearns that year. The portfolio includes mixed-media prints, indicating an experimental approach to printmaking. The work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation, reflecting institutional interest in contemporary print practices that challenge traditional boundaries between drawing and reproduction.
Context
In the late 1990s, many artists revisited printmaking to explore themes of reproduction, identity, and mass media. Kearns’s work aligns with this trend, using accessible techniques to examine individual presence within standardized social roles. The formal attire of the subject and the mechanical process of screenprinting subtly critique the uniformity of professional appearance in contemporary culture.
Legacy
Untitled contributes to a broader reevaluation of printmaking in late 20th-century art, where hand-made aesthetics were integrated into industrial processes. Its inclusion in MoMA’s collection affirms its significance within dialogues about portraiture and reproduction. While not widely exhibited, it remains a quiet example of how print techniques can convey psychological depth without relying on color or detail.
Artist & collection
