Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a charcoal drawing by Kara Walker. It dates from 2015 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2015, this charcoal drawing by Kara Walker consists of three joined sheets, forming a single, fragmented composition. The work is part of her sustained investigation into American historical memory, rendered through monochromatic silhouettes. It resides in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, reflecting its significance within contemporary discourse on race and representation.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a disordered group of figures—some standing, others crouched or partially obscured—engaged in ambiguous, violent interactions.
The drawing depicts a disordered group of figures—some standing, others crouched or partially obscured—engaged in ambiguous, violent interactions. Faces are obscured or turned away, denying individual identity and emphasizing collective trauma. The lack of clear narrative suggests the difficulty of reconstructing histories marked by erasure and suppression, particularly those involving Black bodies under slavery and its aftermath.
Technique & Style
Walker employs rapid, layered charcoal strokes to construct forms that appear both drawn and smudged. The texture emerges from scumbling and pressure, creating areas of deep black and faint gray that suggest movement and instability. Lines overlap and blur, dissolving boundaries between figures and space, reinforcing a sense of chaos and unresolved tension.
History & Provenance
This work was produced during a period when Walker was actively expanding her use of drawing alongside her more familiar cut-paper silhouettes. It entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation, following exhibitions that highlighted her evolving approach to historical imagery. Its acquisition underscores institutional recognition of her critical engagement with American visual culture.
Context
Walker’s practice responds to 19th-century silhouette portraiture and minstrelsy, recontextualizing these forms to confront the violence embedded in American racial iconography. In this piece, the absence of color and detail strips away romanticized narratives, leaving only fragmented, uneasy gestures that echo the incompleteness of historical records concerning enslaved people.
Legacy
The drawing exemplifies Walker’s influence on contemporary art’s engagement with historical trauma. By rejecting polished aesthetics in favor of raw, provisional mark-making, she challenges viewers to confront the instability of memory and the persistence of racialized violence. Her approach has reshaped how artists use drawing to interrogate power, representation, and erasure.
Artist & collection
Artist
Kara Elizabeth Walker (born November 26, 1969) is an American contemporary painter, silhouettist, printmaker, sculptor, installation artist, filmmaker, and university professor, who explores race, gender, sexuality, violence, and identity…
