Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Michael Mazur. It dates from 1986 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1986, this untitled work by Michael Mazur consists of a portfolio of six monotype prints. The pieces are part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplify Mazur’s interest in the graphic potential of the monotype process.
Subject & Meaning
Each image presents a solitary arm and hand grasping a smooth, spherical form against a uniform dark field. The figure’s face is omitted, reduced to an empty, curved contour, lending the composition a restrained, enigmatic quality that invites contemplation of presence and absence.
Technique & Style
Mazur employed the monotype technique, producing a single impression from a painted plate before transferring it to paper. The resulting surfaces display a soft, almost sculptural rendering of flesh, with subtle tonal gradations that emphasize the tactile quality of the hand and the object.
History & Provenance
The portfolio was completed in 1986 and subsequently acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains in the permanent collection. Its inclusion reflects the museum’s commitment to documenting experimental printmaking practices of the late twentieth century.
Context
During the 1980s Mazur explored the boundaries between drawing, painting, and print, often focusing on isolated body parts to probe the relationship between gesture and materiality. This series aligns with his broader investigations into the human form as a vehicle for abstraction.
Artist & collection
Artist
Michael Burton Mazur was an American artist who was described by William Grimes of The New York Times as "a restlessly inventive printmaker, painter, and sculptor."
