Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Markus Raetz. It dates from 2007 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The work invites close, physical engagement—viewers must adjust their angle to perceive the shifting relationship between object and shadow.
Untitled is a 2007 portfolio by Swiss artist Markus Raetz, comprising seventeen photogravures printed on textured paper. Each image presents a minimal geometric form undergoing a subtle transformation across the sequence. The work invites close, physical engagement—viewers must adjust their angle to perceive the shifting relationship between object and shadow. The series operates as a visual puzzle, unfolding slowly through movement and perception.
Subject & Meaning
The portfolio explores the instability of visual recognition. Each plate begins with a clearly defined shape, gradually distorting until it merges with its own shadow. This transition challenges the viewer’s assumption that forms remain fixed in space. Raetz’s interest lies not in representation, but in how perception is shaped by perspective, light, and orientation—turning seeing into an active, bodily experience.
Technique & Style
Raetz employed photogravure, a labor-intensive intaglio process, to achieve fine tonal gradations on rough, absorbent paper. The texture enhances the tactile quality of the shadows, grounding the illusions in material reality. The images are rendered in monochrome, eliminating color as a distraction and focusing attention on form, contrast, and edge. The subtle blurring between object and shadow is meticulously controlled, not accidental.
History & Provenance
Created in 2007, the portfolio was acquired by The Museum of Modern Art in New York shortly after its completion. It reflects Raetz’s decades-long investigation into optical ambiguity and perceptual shifts, a theme present in his sculptures and drawings since the 1960s. Unlike his larger installations, this work is intimate in scale, designed for private contemplation rather than public display.
Context
Raetz’s work emerged from a postwar European tradition of conceptual art that prioritized perception over symbolism. His approach aligns with artists like Bridget Riley and Richard Long, who explored how physical interaction alters experience. Unlike purely abstract works, his pieces retain a link to tangible objects, making their illusions feel both familiar and disorienting.
Legacy
Untitled exemplifies Raetz’s enduring contribution to the study of visual cognition. The portfolio remains a reference in discussions of perceptual art, particularly for its quiet, non-didactic method of revealing how easily sight can be deceived. Its influence is seen in contemporary artists who use minimal forms to probe the limits of observation and the role of the viewer’s body in meaning-making.
Artist & collection
