Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a drawing by Angus Fairhurst. It dates from 2003 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2003, this work by Angus Fairhurst is a collage drawn from printed paper elements assembled on a sheet. It belongs to MoMA’s collection and exemplifies the artist’s interest in reconfiguring mass-produced imagery. The composition layers cut-out forms and photographic fragments, arranged without pretense of polish, emphasizing process over finish.
Subject & Meaning
The piece combines abstract black silhouettes—suggesting figures and architecture—with small, real-world photographs: a red car, a street scene, a boat. These elements resist clear narrative, instead evoking fragments of urban life. The juxtaposition implies a commentary on memory, media saturation, and the fragmentation of contemporary experience.
Technique & Style
Fairhurst employed found magazine clippings and photographs, cut and pasted directly onto paper. The yellow background intensifies the contrast with dark shapes and muted photos. Edges are deliberately rough, revealing the physical act of assembly. The result is a dense, layered surface that feels improvised yet carefully composed.
History & Provenance
The work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection following Fairhurst’s recognition within the Young British Artists movement. It was made near the end of his career and reflects his ongoing engagement with collage as a means to interrogate representation. Its acquisition underscores its significance in late 20th-century British art practices.
Context
Fairhurst worked amid a generation of artists who repurposed media imagery to question authorship and meaning. This piece aligns with broader postmodern strategies of appropriation and fragmentation. His use of everyday printed materials reflects a cultural moment saturated with visual noise and disposable imagery.
Legacy
Though not widely exhibited, this work contributes to Fairhurst’s reputation for subtle, materially aware interventions. It exemplifies how collage could serve as both aesthetic and conceptual tool—transforming mundane sources into quiet inquiries about perception, identity, and the remnants of visual culture.
Artist & collection
