Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Matt Mullican. It dates from 2007 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 2007, this portfolio consists of eight printed sheets combining aquatint, digital printing, and chine collé.
About this work
Overview
The work is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection and reflects Matt Mullican’s ongoing exploration of visual systems and language.
Created in 2007, this portfolio consists of eight printed sheets combining aquatint, digital printing, and chine collé. The work is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection and reflects Matt Mullican’s ongoing exploration of visual systems and language. Each sheet presents a unique arrangement of handwritten letters, assembled without conventional structure, challenging traditional notions of legibility and order in printed text.
Subject & Meaning
The work engages with the physicality and instability of written language. Letters drift, overlap, and tilt as if suspended in space, resisting alignment or hierarchy. Rather than conveying semantic meaning, the composition emphasizes the material presence of glyphs—transforming words into abstract forms. This suggests a meditation on communication’s fragility and the autonomy of symbols outside fixed contexts.
Technique & Style
Mullican employed aquatint for tonal gradients, digital printing for precise layering, and chine collé to integrate delicate paper fragments. The hand-drawn quality of the letters contrasts with the mechanical precision of the print process. Black ink on a pale cream ground creates subtle tension between presence and absence, reinforcing the sense of transient, unresolved notation.
History & Provenance
The portfolio was produced during a period when Mullican was deepening his engagement with printmaking as a conceptual tool. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation, reflecting institutional recognition of his contributions to contemporary print practice. No prior exhibition history or private ownership is documented prior to its acquisition.
Context
Mullican’s practice since the 1970s has consistently interrogated systems of knowledge—symbolic, psychological, and linguistic. This work aligns with his broader investigations into how meaning is constructed through visual organization. In the context of 2000s printmaking, it stands as a quiet counterpoint to digital abundance, emphasizing the handmade within mechanized processes.
Legacy
The portfolio contributes to a sustained dialogue in contemporary art about the limits of language and the materiality of signs. It has influenced artists exploring the intersection of handwriting, typography, and abstraction. While not widely reproduced, its inclusion in MoMA’s collection ensures its place in discussions of post-conceptual printmaking practices.
Artist & collection
Artist
Matt Mullican (born September 18, 1951) is an American artist and educator. He is the child of artists Lee Mullican and Luchita Hurtado. Mullican lives and works in both Berlin and New York City.
