Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an acrylic drawing by Lari Pittman. It dates from 1988 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1988, this acrylic and monoprint on paper by Lari Pittman is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. The work combines layered painting techniques with printed elements, resulting in a dense, textured surface. Its abstract composition resists singular interpretation, instead inviting sustained visual engagement through overlapping forms and rhythmic repetition.
Subject & Meaning
The piece incorporates recurring motifs—feathers, circular shapes, and a central brown form that suggests a mask or avian silhouette. These elements evoke cultural symbols without anchoring to a specific narrative. The ambiguity allows for multiple readings, possibly reflecting themes of identity, ritual, or the fragmentation of personal and collective memory in contemporary life.
Technique & Style
Pittman employed a hybrid approach, layering acrylic paint with monoprinted textures to create depth and variation. Stamped patterns, brushwork, and scribbled lines coexist, mimicking collage without physical attachment. The interplay of controlled motifs and spontaneous marks generates a tension between order and chaos, characteristic of his broader practice in the late 1980s.
History & Provenance
The work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation, reflecting institutional interest in Pittman’s experimental approach during a period of renewed attention to narrative in painting. It has remained in the museum’s holdings since, consistently included in surveys of contemporary American drawing and mixed-media work from the era.
Context
Made during a time when artists were redefining painting through hybrid media, this piece aligns with broader shifts away from minimalism toward complex, symbol-laden imagery. Pittman’s work responded to postmodern discourse, incorporating queer and political undertones while resisting didacticism, situating it within a generation that embraced ambiguity as a formal and conceptual strategy.
Legacy
This work exemplifies Pittman’s influence on later artists who blend craft, symbolism, and abstraction. Its layered surfaces and refusal of clear meaning contributed to a broader reevaluation of drawing as a site for conceptual depth. It remains a reference point in discussions about the intersection of identity, decoration, and political expression in contemporary art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lari George Pittman is a Colombian-American contemporary artist and painter. Pittman is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Painting and Drawing at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.
