Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Sigmar Polke. It dates from 1973 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1973, this photolithograph by German artist Sigmar Polke presents a fragmented composition of four black‑and‑white panels.
Created in 1973, this photolithograph by German artist Sigmar Polke presents a fragmented composition of four black‑and‑white panels. Two panels focus on hands—one grasping a small object, another extending toward a tabletop—while a third isolates a cat’s face with keen eyes, and the fourth depicts a hand clutching a dark, curved instrument. The images rest upon a repetitive geometric field of sharp triangles, generating a stark, rhythmic backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The work juxtaposes everyday gestures and animal presence, inviting contemplation of manual interaction, tools, and the animal gaze. German text framing the image references hands, quicksilver (mercury), and concealed connections, suggesting themes of transformation, fluidity, and the hidden mechanisms behind perception. The fragmented visual language encourages viewers to consider how ordinary actions conceal deeper, perhaps alchemical, processes.
Technique & Style
Polke employed photolithography, merging photographic negatives with a printed, patterned ground to achieve a collage‑like effect. The black‑and‑white imagery is rendered with fine lithographic detail, while the geometric triangle motif is produced through repeated printing blocks. This hybrid approach blends photographic realism with graphic abstraction, characteristic of Polke’s experimental practice during his photographic phase.
History & Provenance
The print was produced during a period when Polke concentrated on photographic media, prior to his shift toward chemically driven abstract painting in the 1980s. It entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of post‑war European printmaking.
Context
In the early 1970s, Polke explored the boundaries between photography and print, questioning the authenticity of images. This work reflects broader artistic concerns of the era, such as the deconstruction of visual narratives and the interrogation of media specificity. The inclusion of German textual elements aligns with Polke’s interest in language as a visual component, linking the piece to contemporary conceptual practices.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sigmar Polke (13 February 1941 – 10 June 2010) was a German painter and photographer.
