Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Lee Mullican. It dates from 1969 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Lee Mullican’s 1969 lithograph, titled Untitled, belongs to the later phase of his artistic output. Executed in the print medium, the work is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. It presents a dynamic marine scene rendered with bold, simplified forms and a vivid palette, inviting viewers to contemplate an abstracted underwater environment.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a swirling sea dominated by deep blues, punctuated by bright yellow and orange circles that float like luminous bubbles. In the lower left, a dark silhouette suggests a figure handling a net or a small vessel, anchoring the composition and hinting at human interaction within an otherwise abstract aquatic realm.
Technique & Style
Mullican employed lithographic processes to achieve flat, saturated color fields and crisp outlines. The work relies on elementary shapes and stark contrasts, creating a sense of motion that mimics the ebb and flow of water. The interplay of floating dots and linear gestures reinforces the impression of a bustling, unseen marine world.
History & Provenance
After establishing himself as a painter, curator, and educator, Mullican turned to printmaking in the late 1960s. The lithograph reflects his involvement with the Dynaton Movement, a group that arose from a 1951 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art exhibition and combined abstraction with symbolic motifs. The piece entered MoMA’s collection, where it remains on view.
Context
The Dynaton group sought to evoke a sense of transcendence through non‑representational forms and mythic references. Mullican’s Untitled aligns with this agenda, using marine imagery as a vehicle for exploring unseen forces and spiritual resonance, while maintaining the movement’s characteristic balance of abstraction and suggestive symbolism.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lee Mullican (December 2, 1919 – July 8, 1998) was an American painter, curator, and art teacher.
