Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Tetsuya Noda. It dates from 1974 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1974, this lithograph by Japanese printmaker Tetsuya Noda belongs to his series of visual autobiographies. The work is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies Noda’s long‑term engagement with print media as a means of recording everyday experience.
Subject & Meaning
The image is dominated by a deep, uniform black field, interrupted only at the lower edge by a procession of small geometric forms. Some of these shapes resemble slender, flat‑topped structures, while others appear as compact blocks, suggesting a stylized urban skyline rendered in an abstracted, almost schematic manner.
Technique & Style
Noda employed a lithographic process that yields a velvety, intensely dark surface. The contrast between the smooth black expanse and the isolated lighter shapes highlights his interest in the interplay of absence and presence, a recurring motif in his work that often incorporates photographic sources processed through mimeograph techniques.
History & Provenance
The print was produced during a prolific period in Noda’s career when he was establishing his reputation as an innovative printmaker. It entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings shortly after its creation, reflecting the institution’s early recognition of his contribution to contemporary Japanese printmaking.
Context
Noda, born in 1940, has combined traditional Japanese print traditions with modern photographic practices, using mimeograph‑derived imagery to document quotidian scenes. His academic role as professor emeritus at Tokyo University of the Arts underscores his influence on successive generations of artists working in print media.
Artist & collection
Artist
Tetsuya Noda (野田 哲也, Noda Tetsuya; born 5 March 1940) is a contemporary artist, printmaker and educator.
