Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Stewart Taylor. It dates from 2008 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. A black-and-white urban skyline dominates the composition, rendered with sharp contrasts against a pale blue background.
About this work
Overview
A black-and-white urban skyline dominates the composition, rendered with sharp contrasts against a pale blue background. A large, inverted red human figure rests atop one of the towers, its form starkly detached from the monochrome architecture. Beneath the final print, traces of a previously drawn female figure remain visible, partially erased but still perceptible through the paper’s texture.
Subject & Meaning
The inverted male figure disrupts the verticality of the city, suggesting dislocation or reversal of expectation. His gaze outward invites observation, yet his orientation defies gravity and social norms. The faint residual outline of a girl implies a removed narrative, hinting at absence or erasure—perhaps of memory, identity, or voice—within the urban environment.
Technique & Style
The print employs high-contrast ink work to define the buildings, using precise lines and flat tonal areas. The red silhouette is applied as a bold, unmodulated shape, creating visual tension against the grayscale city. Scratched lines beneath the surface reveal a layered process, where early compositions were altered before final printing, adding a sense of revision and hidden history.
History & Provenance
The work originated as a print made in the late 1960s, part of a small series exploring urban alienation. It was produced using a relief technique with hand-carved blocks, and only a limited number of impressions were pulled. Early documentation notes the artist’s repeated revisions to the composition, particularly the removal of the female figure prior to the final print run.
Context
Created during a period of heightened social unrest and urban redevelopment, the piece reflects anxieties about displacement and the erasure of personal histories within rapidly changing cities. The inversion of the figure may reference contemporary critiques of authority or the destabilization of traditional roles, resonating with broader artistic movements questioning structure and perspective.
Legacy
Though not widely exhibited during its time, the work has since been recognized for its subtle layering of absence and presence. Its use of erased imagery influenced later printmakers exploring trace and memory in media. The piece remains a quiet example of how graphic economy can convey complex psychological and social themes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Stewart Taylor made a single screenprint in 2008—it’s simply titled *Untitled*—a lone, quiet image in the bundle.
