Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a drawing by Mathias Schmied. It dates from 2003 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Untitled, created in 2003 by Mathias Schmied, is a work composed of cut and printed paper mounted on a white ground.
Untitled, created in 2003 by Mathias Schmied, is a work composed of cut and printed paper mounted on a white ground. Classified as a drawing, it employs the physical manipulation of printed material to form a human figure. The composition centers on a face and upper torso, with a stark vertical division interrupting the imagery. The medium’s materiality—paper with printed text or imagery—is integral to its visual effect.
Subject & Meaning
The figure’s face is partially obscured by a central vertical line, suggesting fragmentation or concealment. The lack of contextual detail and the absence of color focus attention on the structure of the form itself. The work evokes themes of identity, anonymity, and the mediation of the self through printed media, without offering explicit narrative or symbolic cues.
Technique & Style
Schmied constructs the image by cutting shapes from printed paper and arranging them into a figurative silhouette. The layered textures of the paper—bearing traces of type, ink, or pattern—introduce subtle visual noise against the blank background. The cut-out method creates a low-relief effect, emphasizing the objecthood of the work while maintaining a flat, graphic presence.
History & Provenance
The work entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York following its creation in 2003. It is one of several works by Schmied from this period that explore the intersection of print culture and portraiture. No public record of prior ownership or exhibition history exists beyond its acquisition by the museum.
Context
Schmied’s practice in the early 2000s engaged with the material remnants of mass media—newspapers, advertisements, packaging—as sources for image-making. This work aligns with broader contemporary interests in deconstructing representation through found materials, reflecting a post-conceptual approach to drawing that privileges process over illusion.
Legacy
Untitled contributes to a body of work that redefines drawing through non-traditional materials. While Schmied remains a lesser-known figure in mainstream art history, his use of printed paper as both medium and subject has influenced subsequent artists exploring the physicality of media and the erosion of authorship in image production.
Artist & collection
