Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink drawing by Matt Mullican. It dates from 1970 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Created in 1970, this work assembles ink, marker, collage elements, photocopies and red buttons on a bulletin board.
About this work
Overview
The overall effect balances the informal spontaneity of doodles with a systematic arrangement of visual and linguistic components.
Created in 1970, this work assembles ink, marker, collage elements, photocopies and red buttons on a bulletin board. The composition resembles a cluttered yet intentional surface, where textual lists, schematic sketches of interiors and figures, and assorted printed fragments coexist. The overall effect balances the informal spontaneity of doodles with a systematic arrangement of visual and linguistic components.
Subject & Meaning
The board functions as a visual notebook, juxtaposing everyday terminology—such as “advertisements” and “buttons”—with rudimentary drawings of empty rooms and diminutive human silhouettes. These repeated spatial sketches suggest exploratory studies of environment, while the interspersed notes and symbols hint at a process of conceptual mapping, merging personal observation with broader cultural references.
Technique & Style
Mullican employs a mixed-media approach, layering ink lines and marker strokes over photocopied images, then affixing them with pins alongside fabric buttons. The collage incorporates both hand-drawn and mechanically reproduced material, creating a tactile surface where the flatness of paper meets the three‑dimensionality of the buttons. The palette remains largely monochrome, punctuated by the vivid red of the fasteners.
History & Provenance
The piece entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of late‑1960s and early‑1970s experimental works. It reflects a period in the artist’s early career, shortly after he began exhibiting in New York, and marks a formative moment before his later relocations to Berlin and continued teaching practice.
Context
Produced during a time when artists were interrogating the boundaries between art, documentation and everyday objects, the work aligns with contemporary practices of assemblage and conceptual art. Its use of a bulletin board—a common office and domestic tool—situates the piece within a broader discourse on information overload and the visual organization of personal and public data.
Artist & collection
Artist
Matt Mullican (born September 18, 1951) is an American artist and educator. He is the child of artists Lee Mullican and Luchita Hurtado. Mullican lives and works in both Berlin and New York City.
