Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a gouache drawing by Isa Genzken. It dates from 1975 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1975, this untitled work by Isa Genzken consists of a large composite drawing assembled from 112 individual sheets of paper. Executed with gouache and pencil, the piece is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The surface is covered with a grid of small, colored squares—predominantly black, gray, and yellow, interspersed with occasional white units. The arrangement varies from row to row, suggesting a coded pattern or schematic diagram that resists a single, obvious interpretation.
Technique & Style
Gouache, a water‑based pigment with an opaque, matte finish, is combined with pencil line work to define the squares and their borders. By distributing the composition across more than a hundred sheets, Genzken creates a modular, almost architectural field that emphasizes repetition and variation.
History & Provenance
The drawing entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection after its creation in the mid‑1970s, reflecting the institution’s interest in Genzken’s early experimental practice. It remains catalogued under the title Untitled.
Artist & collection
Artist
Isa Genzken is a German artist who lives and works in Berlin. Her primary media are sculpture and installation, using a wide variety of materials, including concrete, plaster, wood and textile. She also works with…
