Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Steven Cortright. It dates from 1978 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The work presents a fragmented book whose pages are arranged within a hexagonal grid, evoking both structural order and physical decay.
Steven Cortright's Untitled, created in 1978, is a collotype print held in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. The work presents a fragmented book whose pages are arranged within a hexagonal grid, evoking both structural order and physical decay. The image mimics the appearance of aged, damaged paper, with cracks radiating across text and graphical elements, suggesting the vulnerability of recorded knowledge.
Subject & Meaning
The depicted book, its pages yellowed and shattered like glass, symbolizes the fragility of information and the erosion of meaning over time. The inclusion of both textual passages and data graphs implies the intersection of narrative and empirical knowledge, both rendered brittle. The fragmentation suggests that understanding, once stable, can be disrupted, dispersed, or lost through neglect or passage.
Technique & Style
Cortright employed collotype, a photomechanical printing process known for its fine tonal gradations, to simulate the texture of aged, cracked paper. The precision of the technique contrasts with the chaotic appearance of damage, enhancing the illusion of decay. The hexagonal tiling imposes a rigid structure over the disintegration, creating tension between order and entropy in the composition.
History & Provenance
Created in 1978, Untitled entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art shortly after its production. It is one of several works by Cortright from this period that explore the materiality of text and the physical degradation of printed media. The work has remained in institutional hands since acquisition, with no documented private ownership.
Context
In the late 1970s, artists increasingly interrogated the physicality of books and printed materials amid rising concerns about archival preservation and the impermanence of information. Cortright’s work aligns with this trend, reflecting anxieties about the durability of knowledge in an era of technological transition and cultural change.
Legacy
Untitled contributes to a broader artistic dialogue on the material limits of documentation. While Cortright’s oeuvre remains relatively understudied, this work exemplifies a quiet but persistent inquiry into how physical decay mirrors intellectual fragility. Its presence in MoMA’s collection ensures its continued relevance in discussions of print, memory, and material culture.
Artist & collection
