Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil drawing by Christian Holstad. It dates from 2004 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
It is composed of cut-and-pasted printed paper and metallic foil on a paper support, forming a collage that blends found imagery with hand-applied materials.
Christian Holstad, born in 1972 and based in Brooklyn, created this untitled drawing in 2004. It is composed of cut-and-pasted printed paper and metallic foil on a paper support, forming a collage that blends found imagery with hand-applied materials. The work is part of The Museum of Modern Art’s collection, reflecting its place within contemporary drawing practices that prioritize material experimentation and everyday visual culture.
Subject & Meaning
A cat reclines in profile, its body turned to the right while its head glances back toward the viewer, creating a quiet sense of reciprocal attention. The animal’s stillness, combined with the delicate scatter of leaves and a faint circular form in the upper corner, suggests a moment suspended between domesticity and the natural world. The composition invites contemplation rather than narrative, evoking solitude and subtle connection between observer and observed.
Technique & Style
Holstad layers printed paper fragments with metallic foil to construct texture and luminosity, avoiding traditional drawing tools. The cat’s fur is rendered through tonal variations in paper, with muted grays, whites, and faint hints of yellow and brown. The background’s off-white surface is punctuated by scattered green foliage and a small, ambiguous celestial shape, enhancing the work’s quiet, dreamlike rhythm through material juxtaposition.
History & Provenance
Created in 2004, the work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly thereafter, affirming its relevance to early 21st-century drawing practices. Holstad, a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute (BFA, 1994), was gaining recognition for his use of vernacular materials and domestic imagery. This piece aligns with his broader exploration of found paper, craft, and the poetic potential of discarded visual elements.
Context
Emerging in the early 2000s, Holstad’s work responded to a broader shift in contemporary art toward material hybridity and the elevation of informal, hand-made processes. His use of printed paper and foil—common in advertising and packaging—challenges distinctions between high and low culture. The inclusion of natural motifs like leaves and a celestial form reflects a quiet interest in the coexistence of the urban and the organic.
Legacy
This drawing exemplifies Holstad’s contribution to redefining drawing as an expanded, collage-based practice. By integrating commercial paper and metallic surfaces, he expanded the vocabulary of contemporary drawing beyond ink or pencil. The work continues to influence artists exploring material memory, domestic intimacy, and the quiet poetry of everyday visual debris.
Artist & collection
Artist
Christian Holstad (born 1972) is an American contemporary artist based in Brooklyn, New York City. He received his BFA at the Kansas City Art Institute in 1994.
