Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Peter Alexander. It dates from 1990 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1990, this work consists of a series of eight aquatint prints, each presenting a uniform, deep black square.
About this work
The artist used a method called *aquatint*, which lets them create smooth tones with acid and resin.
This painting is just a flat, deep black square. No shapes, no colors, no lines—just one solid, dark surface. The edges are clean and sharp, like a frame holding nothing but emptiness.
It’s part of a set of eight prints made in 1990. The artist used a method called *aquatint*, which lets them create smooth tones with acid and resin. Here, though, there’s no tone—just silence on the page.
Look up Peter Alexander to see how he played with absence in other works.
Overview
Created in 1990, this work consists of a series of eight aquatint prints, each presenting a uniform, deep black square. The surface is unmodulated, lacking discernible lines, shapes, or tonal variation, and the edges are sharply defined, giving the impression of a framed void. The portfolio is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The prints foreground absence rather than representation, inviting contemplation of emptiness and the boundaries of visual perception. By reducing the image to a single, saturated field, the artist emphasizes the experience of looking at a surface that offers no narrative content, aligning with his broader interest in the phenomenology of light and space.
Technique & Style
Executed with the aquatint process, the artist employed acid and resin to achieve a smooth, even tone across the paper. In this case the technique is used to produce a uniformly black area, eschewing the subtle gradations typically associated with aquatint, thereby reinforcing the work’s minimalist aesthetic.
History & Provenance
Peter Alexander, known for his resin installations within the Light and Space movement, turned to printmaking in the late 1980s. This eight‑print portfolio was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains on display as an example of his exploration of material and perception beyond his earlier sculptural practice.
Artist & collection
Artist
Peter Alexander (February 27, 1939 – May 26, 2020) was an American artist who was part of the Light and Space artistic movement in southern California in the 1960s. He is notable for his resin sculptures from the 1960s and 1970s.
