Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Julie Mehretu. It dates from 2013 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The series explores layered mark-making, where pressure, texture, and line weight create a sense of dynamic motion and spatial complexity.
Untitled is a set of five prints produced by Julie Mehretu in 2013, combining etching, aquatint, and drypoint techniques. Each work is rendered in monochrome, with dense networks of black lines on a pale ground. The series explores layered mark-making, where pressure, texture, and line weight create a sense of dynamic motion and spatial complexity. The prints are held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The work does not depict a literal scene but evokes abstract forces—urban energy, migration, or systems in flux. Overlapping lines suggest congestion, collapse, or emergence, inviting interpretation as visual metaphors for social or historical currents. The absence of color and recognizable forms directs attention to structure and movement, emphasizing process over narrative.
Technique & Style
Mehretu employed multiple intaglio methods: etching for fine, controlled lines; drypoint for rough, velvety textures; and aquatint to achieve tonal gradations. The result is a dense, layered surface where thick, dark strokes contrast with faint, eroded marks. The hand of the artist is evident in the variability of line quality, creating a sense of rhythm and chaos within the composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 2013, the series was produced in a professional print studio and later acquired by The Museum of Modern Art. It reflects Mehretu’s ongoing engagement with printmaking as a medium for exploring scale and complexity. The works were not part of a public exhibition prior to their acquisition, but they align with her broader practice of translating architectural and cartographic references into abstract visual fields.
Context
This series emerged during a period when Mehretu was increasingly focused on the materiality of mark-making and the physicality of print processes. Her work from this time responds to global themes of displacement and infrastructure, though without direct representation. The prints sit within a lineage of 20th-century abstract printmaking, while extending its possibilities through contemporary concerns.
Legacy
Untitled contributes to the recognition of printmaking as a serious medium for large-scale conceptual inquiry. Mehretu’s integration of traditional techniques with contemporary abstraction has influenced younger artists to explore the potential of layered, non-representational print surfaces. The series remains a key example of how print can convey movement and density without figuration.
Artist & collection
Artist
Julie Mehretu is an Ethiopian American contemporary visual artist, known for her multi-layered paintings of abstracted landscapes on a large scale.
