Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Peter Hutchinson. It dates from 1972 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The piece presents two small framed photographs of a chessboard, the upper image out of focus and the lower one sharply depicting a player in a red sweater.
Created in 1972, this untitled work by Peter Hutchinson is an offset lithograph drawn from a larger portfolio that mixes various printmaking techniques. The piece presents two small framed photographs of a chessboard, the upper image out of focus and the lower one sharply depicting a player in a red sweater. Beneath the visuals, a sequence of chess moves is recorded in standard notation, turning the print into a visual record of a game in progress.
Subject & Meaning
The work merges photographic documentation with the abstract language of chess, inviting viewers to follow the unfolding match as a narrative thread. By juxtaposing a blurred and a clear image, Hutchinson emphasizes perception and the passage of time, while the annotated moves suggest a story that extends beyond the static picture, foregrounding the interplay between visual art and strategic thought.
Technique & Style
Hutchinson employed offset lithography, a process that transfers a printed image from a metal plate to paper via a rubber blanket, allowing for precise reproduction of photographic detail. The piece belongs to a portfolio that also includes screenprints, linoleum cuts, and stereotype prints, reflecting the artist’s experimental approach to mixed media and his interest in combining traditional print methods with contemporary imagery.
History & Provenance
Peter Hutchinson, a British-born artist who later worked in the United States, was active in the early 1970s as a conceptual and land‑art practitioner. The untitled lithograph was produced as part of a nine‑image series that explored chess as a visual and conceptual motif. The work remains within the artist’s printed oeuvre, illustrating his playful engagement with narrative and subjective experience during this period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Peter Arthur Hutchinson (4 March 1930 – 26 June 2025) was a British-born artist who lived in the United States.
