Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Sue Fuller. It dates from 1946 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1946, this etching by Sue Fuller is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Executed using traditional intaglio methods, the work features dense, fluid lines scratched into a metal plate and inked to produce high-contrast tonal effects. The composition fills the entire surface with no clear focal point, emphasizing movement over representation.
Subject & Meaning
The image avoids figurative references, instead presenting abstract forms that suggest natural forces—wind, water, or smoke in motion. The interplay of swirling black lines with occasional streaks of red and green introduces subtle chromatic tension without anchoring the piece to a specific narrative. The work invites contemplation of energy and flow rather than depiction.
Technique & Style
Fuller employed etching, a process involving acid-resistant grounds and a needle to incise lines into a metal plate.
Fuller employed etching, a process involving acid-resistant grounds and a needle to incise lines into a metal plate. Ink was pressed into the grooves, then wiped from the surface, leaving pigment only in the carved marks. The varying thickness of lines and gradations of tone reflect controlled pressure and multiple biting sessions, creating a dynamic range from dense blacks to near-transparent grays.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in 1946, during Fuller’s early career, shortly after her studies at the Art Students League. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection in the late 1940s as part of a broader effort to document postwar American printmaking. Its acquisition reflects institutional interest in experimental abstraction among women artists of the period.
Context
Made in the immediate aftermath of World War II, the piece aligns with a broader shift in American art toward abstraction and expressive mark-making. While European surrealism influenced many contemporaries, Fuller’s approach remains distinct—less symbolic, more focused on material process and organic rhythm, echoing emerging interests in gesture and texture.
Legacy
Though not widely exhibited today, the etching exemplifies Fuller’s contribution to mid-century printmaking’s expansion beyond illustration into pure abstraction. Her use of etching to evoke motion without figuration influenced later generations of printmakers seeking to merge technical precision with expressive spontaneity.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sue Fuller was an American sculptor, draughtsman, author, teacher and printmaker who created three-dimensional works with thread.
