Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Sam Durant. It dates from 2015 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Its surface is populated by irregular, brightly colored shapes that suggest geographic outlines, set against a stark white field.
Created in 2015, Untitled is a mixed-media print that combines etching, screenprinting, and hand‑applied collage fragments. The work belongs to the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies Sam Durant’s practice of assembling disparate visual elements into a single composition. Its surface is populated by irregular, brightly colored shapes that suggest geographic outlines, set against a stark white field.
Subject & Meaning
Durant’s piece engages with the visual language of maps and borders, invoking themes of territorial division and cultural identity. By rendering continents in fragmented, overlapping forms, the work alludes to the fluidity of political boundaries and the contested narratives of American history that the artist frequently explores.
Technique & Style
The composition originates from traditional printmaking processes: an etched plate provides fine line work, while screenprinting adds bold, flat areas of color. After printing, Durant affixed collage pieces by hand, introducing texture and irregularity. This layered approach creates a deliberately chaotic aesthetic, emphasizing the tension between precision and improvisation.
History & Provenance
Sam Durant, a Seattle‑born artist active since the 1990s, produced Untitled for his ongoing investigation of social and political subjects. The work entered MoMA’s collection shortly after its completion, reflecting the museum’s interest in contemporary practices that interrogate historical narratives through hybrid media.
Context
Untitled aligns with Durant’s broader oeuvre, which often references civil‑rights movements, modernist design, and other pivotal moments in U.S. history. The piece’s collage technique echoes the artist’s interest in assemblage as a means of juxtaposing disparate historical documents, thereby prompting viewers to reconsider familiar symbols in new configurations.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sam Durant (born 1961, in Seattle) is a multimedia artist whose works engage social, political, and cultural issues.
