Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Pat Steir. It dates from 1978 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
It combines drypoint with etching and aquatint, reflecting her engagement with printmaking as a conceptual tool.
Created in 1978, this drypoint is one of seven prints in a portfolio by American artist Pat Steir. The work belongs to an early phase of her career, preceding her better-known abstract series. It combines drypoint with etching and aquatint, reflecting her engagement with printmaking as a conceptual tool. The piece is held in The Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it contributes to the understanding of her development as a printmaker and thinker within late 20th-century American art.
Subject & Meaning
The image centers on a faint, hand-drawn face rendered in dark brown lines, its features simplified and expression somber. Surrounding the figure are textual annotations that name the series and describe its technical process. The face, neither idealized nor symbolic, functions as a neutral subject for exploring mark-making. The inclusion of instructional text transforms the print into a meta-commentary on artistic instruction and the act of drawing itself.
Technique & Style
Steir employed drypoint to create the face’s delicate, scratchy contours, while etching and aquatint added tonal variation to the background. The lines are irregular and intimate, avoiding polish in favor of immediacy. The text, printed in a plain, functional font, contrasts with the hand-drawn imagery, reinforcing a conceptual tension between instruction and expression. The composition is restrained, emphasizing process over ornamentation.
History & Provenance
This print was produced in 1978 as part of a limited portfolio of seven works, all made using similar techniques. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation, reflecting institutional interest in Steir’s early conceptual printmaking. The portfolio was not widely distributed, and the work remains a rare example of her pre-abstract phase, offering insight into her transition from minimalism to more expressive forms.
Context
In the late 1970s, Steir was immersed in the New York conceptual art scene, where process and dematerialization were central concerns. Her use of text alongside image aligns with contemporaneous practices by artists like Joseph Kosuth and Lawrence Weiner. This print reflects a broader interest in questioning artistic authority and the boundaries between teaching, making, and viewing—positions that would evolve into her later, more gestural work.
Legacy
Though less known than her later Waterfall paintings, this portfolio marks a critical stage in Steir’s artistic evolution. It demonstrates her early commitment to exploring the mechanics of image-making and the role of language in art. The work continues to inform scholarly discussions on the intersection of printmaking and conceptual practice, serving as a quiet but significant precursor to her mature style.
Artist & collection
Artist
Iris Patricia Steir (née Sukoneck; April 10, 1938 – March 25, 2026) was an American painter and printmaker.
