Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Various Artists, Werner Drewes, Rosalind Bengelsdorf, Ilya Bolotowsky, Harry Bowden, Byron Browne, Giorgio Cavallon, Arthur N. Christie, Herzl Emanuel, Balcomb Greene, Gertrude Greene, Hananiah Harari, Carl Holty, Paul Kelpe, Ray Eames, M. Kennedy, Ibram Lassaw, Agnes Lyall, George McNeil, Alice Trumbull Mason, George L. K. Morris, John Opper, Ralph M. Rosenborg, Charles G. Shaw, Esphyr Slobodkina, Albert Swinden, Rupert D. Turnbull, Vaclav Vytlacil, Fredrick J. Whiteman, Wilfred M. Zogbaum, Louis Schanker. It dates from 1937 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
This sheet is actually part of a set of 31 lithographs made by a group of artists in 1937.
This is a blank, pale sheet of paper with a faint yellowish tint. The edges show signs of age, with a few small tears and a rough, hand-made look. There’s no image or text—just an empty space.
This sheet is actually part of a set of 31 lithographs made by a group of artists in 1937. Each one was likely different, but this one is completely bare.
Want to see how artists used this printmaking technique? Look up lithography.
Overview
Untitled is a portfolio of thirty-one lithographs created in 1937 by a collective of twenty-nine artists. The specific sheet highlighted here appears as a blank, pale yellowish-tinted paper with aged edges, minor tears, and a handmade texture, devoid of any image or text.
Subject & Meaning
The subject of this particular lithograph is the absence of a depicted subject, presenting a paradoxical exploration of emptiness and the minimalist approach to art. Its meaning can be interpreted as a commentary on the basics of printmaking, the value of negative space, or an accidental/productive blank within a set of otherwise varied works.
Technique & Style
Executed using lithography, a printmaking technique where images are drawn on stone and transferred to paper, this work showcases the medium's capabilities in its simplest form. The blank sheet emphasizes the materiality of the lithographic process and the physicality of the paper itself.
History & Provenance
Created in 1937 by a group of twenty-nine artists, this portfolio is part of The Museum of Modern Art's collection. The collaboration reflects the artistic camaraderie and experimental spirit of the time, with each artist presumably contributing a unique lithograph to the set.
Context
Emerging in the 1930s, this work aligns with early explorations of abstract and minimalist tendencies in American art. The collective creation aspect also speaks to the era's artistic communities and their collaborative projects.
Legacy
As part of a larger portfolio, this blank lithograph contributes to a broader understanding of mid-20th-century artistic experimentation. It highlights the importance of process, minimalism, and the challenges to traditional notions of 'art' during this period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Various Artists, Werner Drewes, Rosalind Bengelsdorf, Ilya Bolotowsky, Harry Bowden, Byron Browne, Giorgio Cavallon, Arthur N.
