Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Yoko Ono. It dates from 2017 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Designed as a participatory artwork, each print features the phrase 'PEACE IS POWER' alongside a monochrome outline of the world map.
Created in 2017, *Untitled* is a series of eighty-one offset lithographs by Yoko Ono, some enhanced with manual interventions. Designed as a participatory artwork, each print features the phrase 'PEACE IS POWER' alongside a monochrome outline of the world map. The inclusion of an invitation to add color and mail the result to a museum transforms the print into a decentralized act of collective expression, blurring the line between artist and audience.
Subject & Meaning
The work centers on the idea of peace as an active, shared responsibility. The global map serves as a canvas for personal interpretation, with the instruction to 'add color where the world needs peace' inviting viewers to identify regions of conflict or neglect. The bold typography reinforces the message as both directive and hopeful, reflecting Ono’s long-standing commitment to nonviolent activism through art.
Technique & Style
The prints use standard offset lithography, a commercial printing method, to produce uniform base images. Hand additions—such as colored pencil, ink, or wash—introduce individual variation, making each piece unique. The stark black-and-white design, minimal typography, and open-ended instructions reflect Ono’s conceptual approach, prioritizing idea over aesthetic finish and encouraging direct viewer engagement.
History & Provenance
Ono produced this series as part of an ongoing project initiated in the 2010s, inviting public participation through mail-in contributions. Completed versions were collected and archived, with a selection entering The Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. The work extends a practice Ono began in the 1960s, where audience interaction was central to the meaning of her art, reinforcing continuity in her artistic philosophy.
Context
Emerging from New York’s downtown avant-garde scene in the 1960s and associated with Fluxus, Ono consistently challenged traditional art forms by emphasizing process and participation. *Untitled* aligns with her earlier instructional pieces and peace campaigns, situating itself within a broader tradition of socially engaged art that uses simple visual language to provoke collective reflection and action.
Legacy
The work endures as an example of art as a civic tool, where dissemination and personal contribution replace passive consumption. Its open structure allows for endless replication and reinterpretation, ensuring its relevance beyond institutional walls. By embedding activism into the act of coloring, Ono extends the life of the artwork through the ongoing choices of its participants.
Artist & collection
Artist
Yoko Ono (Japanese: 小野 洋子, romanized: Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana as オノ・ヨーコ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese artist, musician, and peace activist.
