Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by John Baldessari. It dates from 2004 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 2004, this work consists of a set of ten photogravure prints accompanied by letterpress text.
About this work
Overview
Each print presents a stark black‑and‑white photograph framed within a larger white square, bordered by a dark geometric edge.
Created in 2004, this work consists of a set of ten photogravure prints accompanied by letterpress text. Each print presents a stark black‑and‑white photograph framed within a larger white square, bordered by a dark geometric edge. Below the image, the word “MOTION” appears in bold type, linking the visual and verbal elements. The series is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The central image captures a moment in which a farrier shoes a horse, rendered as a straightforward snapshot. By pairing this quiet, everyday scene with the caption “MOTION,” the artist invites viewers to contemplate the tension between stillness and movement, suggesting that even a static photograph can evoke a sense of kinetic energy through language.
Technique & Style
The pieces employ photogravure, a printmaking process that transfers photographic tones onto a metal plate before printing, yielding rich tonal depth. The accompanying text is applied by letterpress, a relief printing method that produces crisp, raised lettering. The combination of these historic techniques underscores the artist’s interest in the materiality of image and word, while the clean geometric framing emphasizes a minimalist aesthetic.
History & Provenance
American conceptual artist John Baldessari, known for integrating found photographs with textual interventions, produced the series as part of his broader exploration of image‑language relationships that began in the 1960s. Since its creation, the portfolio has remained in the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it is displayed alongside other works that examine the dialogue between visual and verbal signifiers.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Anthony Baldessari (June 17, 1931 – January 2, 2020) was an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images.
