Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by R. B. Kitaj. It dates from 1967 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
This particular work consists of five vertically aligned panels, each presenting a unique visual motif.
Untitled is one of fifteen screenprints from a 1967 portfolio by R. B. Kitaj, each distinct in composition and color. The series as a whole explores abstraction through layered imagery and bold graphic elements. This particular work consists of five vertically aligned panels, each presenting a unique visual motif. The prints are executed in screenprint with added varnish, enhancing surface texture and contrast. The Museum of Modern Art holds this portfolio as part of its collection of postwar American prints.
Subject & Meaning
The five panels suggest fragmented figuration rather than narrative. A yellow face with a red bow evokes mask-like anonymity, possibly referencing theatrical or cultural archetypes. Other elements—splattered pigment, diagonal lines, geometric grids—hint at emotional states or psychological tension without clear symbolism. The absence of explicit subject matter invites open interpretation, aligning with Kitaj’s interest in layered identity and the instability of visual meaning.
Technique & Style
Kitaj employed screenprinting to achieve flat, saturated color fields and sharp edges, complemented by hand-applied varnish for subtle sheen and depth. The five panels vary in palette and structure: one features black with yellow splatters and a red form; another uses stark monochrome diagonals; a third isolates a yellow visage against dark. The style blends pop art’s clarity with expressionist energy, rejecting uniformity in favor of individualized panels within a unified sequence.
History & Provenance
Created in 1967, this portfolio emerged during a period of intense experimentation in American printmaking. Kitaj, then based in London, produced the series as a cohesive set, not as isolated works. The Museum of Modern Art acquired the full portfolio shortly after its completion, recognizing its significance in expanding the possibilities of the print medium. Its provenance remains unbroken since acquisition, with no known public exhibitions prior to its inclusion in MoMA’s collection.
Context
This work reflects the broader 1960s interest in breaking down traditional boundaries between painting and print, and between abstraction and figuration. Kitaj’s approach resonated with contemporaries exploring identity and representation, such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. The portfolio’s fragmented structure mirrors the era’s cultural fragmentation, responding to political upheaval and shifting notions of selfhood through visual disjunction rather than direct commentary.
Legacy
Kitaj’s portfolio contributed to the legitimization of screenprinting as a serious medium for conceptual exploration, not merely reproduction. Its influence is seen in later artists who embraced seriality and mixed media in printmaking. While not widely reproduced, the work remains a touchstone in discussions of postwar American print practice, valued for its formal innovation and refusal to settle into a single stylistic mode.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ronald Brooks Kitaj was an American artist who spent much of his life in England.
