Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an oil drawing by Mangelos. It dates from 1978 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
This piece looks like a torn, crumpled sheet of metal foil with red paint splashed across it.
This piece looks like a torn, crumpled sheet of metal foil with red paint splashed across it. In the top left, the word "Kitchenmanifest" is scrawled in uneven letters. A black rectangle in the middle holds more red writing, but it’s hard to read. At the bottom, there’s a small red drawing of a duck and the numbers "AD 2381."
The red paint stands out against the dull silver foil, making it pop. The writing and doodle feel like they were added quickly, almost like a sketch.
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Overview
Untitled is a small-scale work on paper that incorporates a sheet of metal foil as its ground. The artist applied gouache, a water‑based opaque paint, to the foil, creating a composition of stark metallic surface punctuated by vivid red markings. The piece measures only a few centimeters across, emphasizing its intimate, tactile quality.
Subject & Meaning
The surface appears torn and crumpled, suggesting a discarded or repurposed material. Red gouache splashes across the foil, forming fragmented text—among them the phrase “Kitchenmanifest” and a cryptic numeric inscription “AD 2381.” A modest red sketch of a duck occupies the lower edge, adding a whimsical, perhaps autobiographical, element to the otherwise abstract field.
Technique & Style
By layering gouache on metal foil adhered to paper, the artist exploits the foil’s reflective sheen while allowing the paint’s opacity to dominate. The uneven hand‑drawn lettering and spontaneous doodle convey a sketch‑like immediacy, contrasting with the industrial feel of the foil substrate. The limited palette—primarily red against silvery gray—heightens visual tension.
History & Provenance
Created in 1978, the work entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art shortly after its completion. It has remained in the museum’s holdings, where it is catalogued as a drawing rather than a painting, reflecting its mixed-media nature.
Context
The late 1970s saw artists experimenting with non‑traditional supports and questioning the boundaries between drawing and painting. This piece aligns with those trends, employing everyday industrial material as a canvas and integrating textual elements that echo conceptual art practices of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Manđelos is a village located in the Sremska Mitrovica municipality, in the Syrmia District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,533 people.
