Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Richard Smith. It dates from 1973 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The work is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies Smith’s interest in blurring boundaries between painting and sculpture.
Created in 1973, this lithograph by Richard Smith combines printed imagery with physical interventions: cut paper, cord, and a punched hole. The work is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies Smith’s interest in blurring boundaries between painting and sculpture. Its construction challenges traditional print formats by incorporating tactile elements that extend beyond the flat plane.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a diagonal, dark green form bordered in white, split by a fine linear division. The shape’s ambiguity resists clear symbolic interpretation, instead inviting attention to its material presence. The white cords, tied around the form, suggest suspension or constraint, introducing a subtle tension between containment and release. The work prioritizes formal relationships over narrative content.
Technique & Style
Smith employed lithography on cut paper, then added handmade elements: strings threaded through a punched hole and secured with knots. The background’s yellow field varies in tone, transitioning from light to dark, while the green shape appears smoother in contrast to the textured ground. These material contrasts emphasize the interplay between printed surface and physical object, a hallmark of Smith’s late 20th-century practice.
History & Provenance
The work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation. It reflects Smith’s engagement with post-painterly abstraction and the material experiments of the 1970s. No prior ownership records are publicly documented beyond its acquisition by MoMA, suggesting it was likely produced for exhibition rather than commercial sale.
Context
Emerging from a period when artists were redefining printmaking through hybrid techniques, Smith’s work aligns with broader movements questioning the autonomy of the image. His use of string and cut paper responds to contemporaneous explorations by artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Eva Hesse, who integrated everyday materials to disrupt conventional art categories.
Legacy
This piece contributes to Smith’s reputation for reimagining print as an object rather than a reproduction. While not widely reproduced, it remains a key example of how mid-century British artists expanded the possibilities of graphic media. Its inclusion in MoMA’s collection affirms its significance within the evolution of postwar print practices.
Artist & collection
