Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Jimmie Durham. It dates from 2013 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 2013, this screenprint by Jimmie Bob Durham presents a cluster of five maple leaves set against a vivid yellow field.
About this work
Look up Jimmie Durham next—he made this in 2013, and his work often plays with ideas like time and nature.
This image shows five maple leaves floating against a bright yellow background. One leaf is white, like it’s been bleached, while the others are autumn colors—red, orange, and brown. The leaves are scattered loosely, some overlapping slightly, with thin stems trailing behind them.
The text at the bottom says the artist used durable materials, even if the work disappears someday. That makes you wonder how something so simple can feel so deliberate.
Look up Jimmie Durham next—he made this in 2013, and his work often plays with ideas like time and nature.
Overview
Created in 2013, this screenprint by Jimmie Bob Durham presents a cluster of five maple leaves set against a vivid yellow field. One leaf appears bleached white while the remaining four display typical autumn hues—red, orange and brown—each attached to slender stems that trail behind them.
Subject & Meaning
The juxtaposition of a single pale leaf with its colored companions suggests a meditation on transformation and the passage of time, themes recurrent in Durham’s work. The simple natural motif invites contemplation of cycles of decay and renewal within a broader cultural and ecological context.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the image relies on flat areas of color and crisp outlines, emphasizing graphic clarity. The choice of durable inks underscores the artist’s awareness of the work’s material longevity, even as the composition itself hints at ephemerality.
History & Provenance
The print entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art shortly after its creation, becoming part of MoMA’s holdings of contemporary print media. Durham’s career, which began in the civil‑rights era and later shifted toward visual art while living in New York, has been documented through numerous exhibitions worldwide.
Context
Durham’s practice spans sculpture, poetry and essay, informed by his involvement in the American Indian Movement of the 1960s‑70s. Recognized with several honors, including the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019, his work continues to engage questions of identity, history and the natural world.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jimmie Bob Durham (July 10, 1940 – November 17, 2021) was an American sculptor, essayist and poet.
