Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Marian Zazeela. It dates from 1991 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
The background is plain, and the photo is in black and white, with a slightly faded look.
This image is a concert poster for a man singing into a microphone. He’s wearing a white cap and a light-colored robe, with his hands open as if mid-song. The background is plain, and the photo is in black and white, with a slightly faded look.
The poster lists two performances of *Raga Cycle 1991* at a church in New York. The text includes ticket prices and phone numbers for buying them.
If you like this style, check out lithography next.
Overview
Created in 1991, this offset lithograph by Marian Zazeela functions as a concert poster announcing two performances of *Raga Cycle 1991* in a New York church. The image presents a male vocalist in a white cap and light robe, captured mid‑song with open hands, rendered in stark black‑and‑white with a subtly aged patina. Textual details list ticket prices and telephone numbers for purchase.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure—a singer poised before a microphone—evokes the ritual of live performance, aligning with Zazeela’s broader interest in the convergence of visual and auditory experience. By isolating the performer against an unadorned backdrop, the work foregrounds the act of sound production, suggesting a meditation on presence, resonance, and the spatial qualities of music within a sacred setting.
Technique & Style
Executed as an offset lithograph, the piece employs the reproducible qualities of commercial printing while retaining a hand‑crafted aesthetic. The monochrome palette and slight fading simulate the look of vintage concert ephemera, reinforcing the tactile, material aspect of Zazeela’s practice, which often bridges fine art and design through precise, minimalist graphic treatment.
History & Provenance
Zazeela produced the lithograph while based in New York City, where she was active as a light artist, calligrapher, painter, and musician. The poster was originally distributed to promote the 1991 *Raga Cycle* concerts, events linked to her long‑standing collaborations with minimalist composer La Monte Young and the experimental music collective Theatre of Eternal Music.
Artist & collection
Artist
Marian Zazeela (April 15, 1940 – March 28, 2024) was an American light artist, designer, calligrapher, painter, and musician based in New York City.
