Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Norman Catherine. It dates from 1990 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Norman Catherine’s 1990 screenprint Untitled presents a densely layered composition of vivid, cartoon‑like faces and abstract forms.
Norman Catherine’s 1990 screenprint Untitled presents a densely layered composition of vivid, cartoon‑like faces and abstract forms. Set against a dark field, the image features oversized green teeth, red eyes and a conspicuous sign reading “Green‑Man Funeral Home Now Open,” surrounded by diminutive figures engaged in macabre tasks. The work’s palette is dominated by clashing neon greens, purples and yellows, creating a visually chaotic environment.
Subject & Meaning
The print juxtaposes the solemnity of a funeral home with a playful, almost satirical visual language. By rendering the funeral setting in a comic‑book style, Catherine invites viewers to consider the tension between mortality and humor, suggesting a commentary on how death is packaged and perceived in contemporary culture.
Technique & Style
Executed as a screenprint, the piece relies on flat, saturated color blocks and crisp, delineated lines typical of the medium’s graphic potential. Catherine’s approach emphasizes bold outlines and a layered stamping process, allowing overlapping shapes and figures to generate depth while maintaining a two‑dimensional, illustrative quality.
History & Provenance
Norman Catherine, a South African artist born in 1949, began his professional career with a solo exhibition in Johannesburg in 1969. Since then he has worked across painting, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media. Untitled entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of late‑20th‑century print works.
Artist & collection
Artist
Norman Catherine (born September 1949 in East London, South Africa) is a South African artist whose body of work spans painting, sculpture, printmaking and mixed media.
