Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Mercedes Pardo. It dates from 1972 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1972, this untitled screenprint by Venezuelan artist Mercedes Pardo belongs to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The work presents a composition of flat, sharply defined color fields—a large purple rectangle on the left, a deep green block in the centre, and a red shape on the right—interrupted by two contrasting circles within the green area.
Subject & Meaning
Pardo’s piece forgoes representational content, focusing instead on the interaction of primary hues and geometric forms. The juxtaposition of the purple, green, and red planes, together with the blue and purple circles, invites viewers to consider the visual tension and balance created solely through color relationships and spatial arrangement.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the image was produced by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper, resulting in crisp, unmodulated edges and a uniform surface without visible brushwork or texture. The flat application of pigment reflects Pardo’s abstract aesthetic, emphasizing formal clarity and the material qualities of printmaking.
History & Provenance
The print entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings after being acquired directly from the artist’s estate, solidifying Pardo’s presence within an international institutional context. The work bears the artist’s signature in the lower corner, confirming its authenticity and linking it to her broader output during the early 1970s.
Context
During the 1970s, Pardo was a leading figure in Venezuelan modernism, contributing to a movement that explored non‑representational language through bold color and geometric abstraction. This screenprint exemplifies her commitment to reducing visual elements to their essential forms, aligning with contemporaneous trends in Latin American abstract art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Mercedes Clementina Marta del Carmen Pardo Ponte, known as Mercedes Pardo (July 29, 1921 – March 24, 2005) was a Venezuelan abstract art painter.
