Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Torkwase Dyson. It dates from 2023 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
This untitled 2023 print by Torkwase Dyson employs aquatint combined with chine collé, a process that layers delicate paper onto etched metal plates.
This untitled 2023 print by Torkwase Dyson employs aquatint combined with chine collé, a process that layers delicate paper onto etched metal plates. The work forms part of Dyson’s broader inquiry into spatial systems and their relationship to racial and environmental justice. Abstract in form, it presents a dialogue between tonal gradations and organic shapes, inviting reflection on the intersections of geometry, history, and liberation.
Subject & Meaning
Dyson’s composition resists literal interpretation, instead evoking the fluidity of spatial experience shaped by Black presence. The dominant curved form and layered textures suggest movement and boundary—elements central to her exploration of how architecture and geography encode power. The work aligns with her concept of Black Compositional Thought, which reimagines abstraction as a tool for examining agency within constructed environments.
Technique & Style
Aquatint’s granular tonal range allows Dyson to create shifting depths of gray, while chine collé introduces a fragile, translucent layer. The deep black curve emerges from a textured field, its edges softening into lighter zones, a contrast that heightens the work’s visual tension. This method reinforces her interest in materiality as a metaphor for historical and spatial stratification.
History & Provenance
Produced in 2023, the print entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art shortly thereafter. It reflects Dyson’s ongoing engagement with printmaking as a medium for interrogating abstraction’s political dimensions. The work’s inclusion in a major institutional collection underscores its role in contemporary dialogues about race, space, and artistic practice.
Context
Dyson’s practice emerges from a lineage of artists who use abstraction to critique systemic structures. Her work responds to the legacies of racialized urban planning and environmental injustice, positioning Black spatial imaginaries as frameworks for resistance. This print contributes to broader conversations about how art can redefine narratives of geography and belonging.
Legacy
By merging technical precision with conceptual rigor, Dyson expands the possibilities of printmaking as a site for social inquiry. The work’s abstract language challenges viewers to reconsider the politics of form, offering a model for how contemporary art might engage with histories of displacement and reclamation. Its presence in public collections ensures its continued relevance in discussions of abstraction’s ethical dimensions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Torkwase Dyson (born 1973, Chicago, Illinois) is an interdisciplinary artist based in Beacon, New York, United States.
