Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Nam June Paik. It dates from 1973 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled is a 1973 screenprint by Nam June Paik, part of a larger portfolio that includes seventeen screenprints, nine lithographs, two hybrid lithograph‑screenprints, a photocopy and a photograph. The work is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and exemplifies Paik’s interest in the intersection of domestic space and emerging media.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a man and a woman seated before a large, boxy television set in a living‑room setting. Above them, a captioned box poses questions about the future ubiquity of television, while smaller vignettes illustrate televisions integrated into furniture, suggesting a speculative vision of media‑saturated interiors.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the piece combines bold graphic outlines with flat areas of color, echoing the visual language of mid‑century advertising. The composition’s layered text and image elements create a collage‑like effect, reinforcing Paik’s engagement with mass‑media aesthetics.
History & Provenance
Created in 1973, the print entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection through acquisition (date of acquisition not specified). It belongs to a series that documents Paik’s early explorations of television as both subject and medium.
Context
During the early 1970s, Paik was pioneering video art and interrogating television’s impact on everyday life. The work’s reference to “great communication‑artist Ray Johnson” situates it within a network of artists experimenting with mail art and communication theory, highlighting the dialogue between art and technology at the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nam June Paik was a South Korean artist. He worked with a variety of media and is considered to be the founder of video art. He is credited with the first use (1974) of the term "electronic super highway" to describe…
