Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Marina Adams. It dates from 2018 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2018, this lithograph by Marina Adams is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Rendered in monochrome, the work consists of abstract forms defined by thick, irregular lines and smudged ink. The print’s surface suggests direct, physical manipulation of the printing plate, resulting in a tactile quality that blurs the boundary between drawing and printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The image does not depict a recognizable scene or object. Instead, it presents fragmented forms—most notably a distorted, broken letter 'D'—that resist legibility. The composition invites attention to gesture and rhythm rather than narrative, emphasizing the materiality of mark-making and the instability of symbolic forms.
Technique & Style
Adams employed lithography, a process in which ink is drawn onto a stone or metal plate and transferred to paper. The resulting lines exhibit subtle fuzziness and uneven density, characteristic of the medium’s capacity for organic texture. Thick, smeared areas suggest hand pressure and improvisation, reinforcing the work’s emphasis on process over precision.
History & Provenance
The work was acquired by The Museum of Modern Art shortly after its creation in 2018. It belongs to a series of prints by Adams that explore the limits of legibility and the physicality of graphic marks. No prior ownership or exhibition history beyond the museum’s acquisition is publicly documented.
Context
Adams’s practice engages with the history of abstract expressionism and post-minimalist drawing, often interrogating how meaning emerges from non-representational forms. This lithograph aligns with contemporary inquiries into the material traces of artistic labor, where the act of making becomes as significant as the final image.
Legacy
As part of a broader shift in contemporary printmaking toward experimental mark-making, this work contributes to ongoing dialogues about abstraction and materiality. Its inclusion in MoMA’s collection situates it within a lineage of artists who prioritize process and ambiguity over representation, influencing newer generations of printmakers.
Artist & collection
