Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Richard Prince. It dates from 1990 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled is a small ink and pencil drawing on paper by Richard Prince, created in 1990 and housed in The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Characterized by messy, uneven handwriting in varying sizes, the work embodies Prince’s conceptual approach to reworking everyday content.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing features two disjointed texts. The first associates “Black crows” with a fragmented phrase “Black bra—terrorist on freeway,” suggesting a playful or ironic juxtaposition of benign and ominous imagery. The second text depicts a conversational exchange about scheduling a show, potentially highlighting the mundane or the artist’s interest in casual communication.
Technique & Style
Executed in a hurried, scribbled manner, the drawing’s technique reflects a quick, possibly private notation. The mixed use of ink and pencil, along with the varied handwriting sizes, contributes to an overall sense of spontaneity and informality.
History & Provenance
Created in 1990, *Untitled* is part of Richard Prince’s output from a period when he was engaging with appropriating and reinterpreting elements of American pop culture and everyday life. The work is now part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection.
Context
Emerging from the 1980s East Village, Manhattan art scene, Prince’s work, including *Untitled*, sits within the broader context of conceptual and pop art practices that challenge traditional notions of art by incorporating commonplace subjects and questioning authorship.
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.
