Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor drawing by Nancy Graves. It dates from 1970 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
It’s a mix of plain paper and a few loose sheets tucked inside—no drawings or writing are visible here, just the empty ruled lines.
This is an open spiral notebook with blank, lined pages. The cover shows a few handwritten words in ink: *"Nancy Graves 1970 Morocco Germany USA."* The bottom has a label for "60 sheets" and a small sticker that says "National," along with a barcode-style number.
The notebook looks used, with some smudges and faint marks on the pages. It’s a mix of plain paper and a few loose sheets tucked inside—no drawings or writing are visible here, just the empty ruled lines.
This is part of an artist’s sketchbook—check out Nancy Graves to see how she turned notebooks like this into art.
Overview
Created in 1970, this untitled work by Nancy Graves is a working notebook containing mixed media drawings and typewritten fragments. It combines felt-tip, ballpoint, ink, pencil, and watercolor on ruled pages, supplemented by loose sheets. The spiral-bound format, originally intended for note-taking, became a site for informal experimentation, reflecting Graves’s habit of treating everyday materials as extensions of her artistic process.
Subject & Meaning
The notebook’s cover bears handwritten notations—'Morocco Germany USA'—suggesting geographic and personal waypoints during a period of travel. These markers imply a connection between physical movement and creative output, though the interior pages remain largely blank. The absence of overt imagery invites interpretation of the work as a record of presence rather than representation, emphasizing process over finished form.
Technique & Style
Graves layered mundane tools—ballpoint and felt-tip pens, pencil, watercolor—on standard lined paper, blending the casual with the deliberate. Typewritten fragments interrupt the hand-drawn marks, introducing textual rhythm alongside visual gesture. The use of a commercial notebook, with its pre-printed lines and industrial label, grounds the work in the everyday, subverting traditional notions of artistic medium.
History & Provenance
The notebook entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection as part of Graves’s broader archive of working materials. Its worn surface, smudges, and faded sticker indicate active use. The barcode and 'National' label suggest mass-produced origins, contrasting with the personal inscriptions. Its preservation reflects institutional recognition of sketchbooks as vital documents of artistic thought.
Context
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Graves was shifting from sculpture toward more intimate, process-driven practices. This notebook aligns with contemporaneous trends among artists who valued the sketchbook as a space for unfiltered inquiry. Her travels to North Africa and Europe during this time informed her interest in cartography and natural forms, though this particular volume resists direct visual translation of those themes.
Legacy
The work exemplifies how Graves treated the sketchbook not as preparatory but as a complete artifact. Its unembellished state challenges conventional expectations of what constitutes finished art, influencing later generations who prioritize documentation, ephemerality, and material authenticity over polished output. It remains a quiet testament to the artist’s habit of observing and recording the world in fragments.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nancy Graves (December 23, 1939 – October 21, 1995) was an American sculptor, painter, printmaker, and filmmaker known for her focus on natural phenomena like camels or maps of the Moon.
