Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Tony Oursler in 1999.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Museum of Modern Art.

Artwork

Untitled

Tony Oursler , 1999

Untitled is an ink print by Tony Oursler. It dates from 1999 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1999, this work is a screenprint that belongs to a limited series comprising seven screenprints and a single etching‑aquatint.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1999, this work is a screenprint that belongs to a limited series comprising seven screenprints and a single etching‑aquatint.

Created in 1999, this work is a screenprint that belongs to a limited series comprising seven screenprints and a single etching‑aquatint. It is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. The piece presents a stark, refrigerated interior populated by ordinary beverage containers, while a luminous green alien head hovers above the ice, its eyes dark and its form linked to a camera by a visible cable.

Subject & Meaning

The image juxtaposes the mundane—bottles of water, beer, and soda—against an uncanny, otherworldly presence. The alien’s phosphorescent glow and mechanical connection suggest themes of surveillance, intrusion, and the blending of domestic spaces with speculative technology, inviting viewers to consider the tension between everyday consumption and the unsettling gaze of an external observer.

Technique & Style

Executed as a screenprint, the work employs flat areas of color and sharp contrasts to emphasize the bright green of the alien against the sterile white of the refrigerator. The crisp delineation of objects and the graphic quality of the floating head reflect Oursler’s broader practice of merging photographic realism with digitally manipulated, surreal elements.

History & Provenance

Tony Oursler, an American artist known for multimedia installations, completed a BFA at the California Institute of the Arts in 1979 and has since worked across video, sculpture, performance, and painting. This particular print entered MoMA’s holdings as part of its acquisition of contemporary print media, representing a key moment in Oursler’s exploration of printed imagery within his larger oeuvre.