Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Joseph E. Yoakum. It dates from 1964 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1964, this drawing by Joseph E.
About this work
Overview
The work is one of many small-scale drawings Yoakum produced late in life, characterized by their intimate scale and distinctive linear language.
Created in 1964, this drawing by Joseph E. Yoakum is executed in ballpoint pen and pencil on tan-colored paper. It belongs to the collection of The Museum of Modern Art. The work is one of many small-scale drawings Yoakum produced late in life, characterized by their intimate scale and distinctive linear language. No signature or title appears on the piece, consistent with the artist’s practice of leaving works unnamed.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts three large, undulating mountain forms that suggest natural landmarks without adhering to geographic accuracy. Their rounded contours and sharp crests evoke a sense of movement, resembling draped fabric or ocean swells more than geological features. The forms appear symbolic, reflecting Yoakum’s imaginative landscapes rooted in memory and spiritual vision rather than observed topography.
Technique & Style
Yoakum used only a ballpoint pen and pencil to build dense, rhythmic patterns across the slopes. Cross-hatching and repetitive dot-like marks create texture and shadow, giving volume to the forms without modeling. The dark, confident lines stand out against the pale paper, emphasizing contour over detail. The hand is steady yet unrefined, producing a visual rhythm that feels both deliberate and intuitive.
History & Provenance
This drawing was made during the final decade of Yoakum’s life, when he produced hundreds of works in relative isolation in Chicago. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection through the artist’s estate after his death in 1972. The museum acquired multiple pieces from his personal archive, recognizing their unique contribution to 20th-century American drawing traditions.
Context
Yoakum, a self-taught artist and former railroad worker, began drawing in his 70s after a spiritual awakening. His landscapes drew from travel memories, biblical imagery, and oral histories rather than direct observation. Working without formal training, he developed a personal visual vocabulary that aligned with the broader field of outsider art, though he resisted such labels.
Legacy
Yoakum’s drawings, including this one, have influenced later generations of artists interested in intuitive mark-making and non-Western cartographies. His work challenges conventional notions of artistic authority and representation. Though little known during his lifetime, his oeuvre is now studied for its emotional resonance and singular approach to landscape as inner experience.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Elmer Yoakum was an American self-taught painter. He was of African-American and possibly of Native American–descent, and was known for his landscape paintings in the outsider art-style. He was age 76 when he…
