Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Richard Prince. It dates from 1978 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1978, this small square offset lithograph is an early work by American artist Richard Prince. It belongs to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art and exemplifies Prince’s initial investigations into the visual language of mass media.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a minimal, ambiguous composition that resists easy identification, reflecting Prince’s interest in the vague and generic aspects of consumer culture. By offering an indeterminate subject, the work invites viewers to consider how everyday visual cues are constructed and perceived.
Technique & Style
Produced through offset lithography, the piece employs a straightforward printing process that reproduces a flat, graphic surface. The limited detail and simplified forms align with Prince’s broader practice of appropriating and recontextualizing existing imagery.
History & Provenance
The lithograph was made in the late 1970s, a period when Prince was establishing his reputation in New York’s East Village art scene. It later entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of contemporary American art.
Context
During the 1980s Prince became known for rephotography and appropriation, using images of models, furniture, and consumer goods to critique popular culture. This untitled lithograph predates those later series, offering insight into his formative experiments with media imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Richard Prince (born August 6, 1949) is an American conceptual artist and pop artist who rose to prominence in the 1980s in the East Village, Manhattan.
