Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a paint drawing by Lee Lozano. It dates from 1972 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1972, this untitled work by Lee Lozano is a drawing composed of ballpoint pen marks, collaged colored paper, and a length of red string affixed to a paper support. The piece is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Subject & Meaning
The surface is dominated by a handwritten passage set against a beige background. The text opens with the headings “Content” and “Form” and proceeds to interrogate the tension between the two, offering statements such as “What happens if …” and “I can’t be interested in form for form’s sake.” The language functions as both conceptual inquiry and visual element.
Technique & Style
Lozano employs a straightforward ballpoint pen script, punctuated by underlined and bolded words that draw the eye. Small green circular cut-outs are punched into the paper and adhered, while a single red string runs along the bottom edge, adding a tactile, three‑dimensional accent to the otherwise flat composition.
History & Provenance
The work was produced during a period when Lozano was exploring the intersection of language, minimalism, and feminist concerns. After its creation, the drawing entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains on view as part of the institution’s representation of 1970s conceptual practice.
Context
Lozano’s practice in the early 1970s often merged text with modest materials, reflecting broader movements that questioned the hierarchy of visual and linguistic content. The piece’s emphasis on the dialogue between “content” and “form” echoes contemporary debates in conceptual art about the role of the artist’s intent versus the material execution.
Artist & collection
