Who painted Untitled?

Untitled was painted by Paul Waldman in 1965.

Where can I see Untitled?

Untitled is held by Museum of Modern Art.

Artwork

Untitled

Paul Waldman , 1965

Untitled is a graphite drawing by Paul Waldman. It dates from 1965 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

About this work

You see a rectangle of thick white paper with a smaller rectangle cut out of the center, then pasted back in slightly off-kilter.

You see a rectangle of thick white paper with a smaller rectangle cut out of the center, then pasted back in slightly off-kilter. The edges are smudged with pencil, like someone traced the cut lines and then rubbed them soft.

Waldman made this in 1965, when artists were slicing up paper and gluing it back together just to see what happens. The shift is barely an inch, but it turns a simple sheet into something that feels alive—like it’s breathing.

Look up more works that play with paper and space at The Museum of Modern Art.

Overview

Created in 1965, this graphite drawing on ragboard consists of a rectangular sheet with a central portion cut away and reattached with slight misalignment. The work is executed in pencil, with edges softened by smudging, suggesting deliberate manipulation of surface and form. It resides in the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, representing a moment when artists explored materiality through minimal intervention.

Subject & Meaning

The piece avoids figurative or symbolic content, instead focusing on the physical presence of paper as a medium. The subtle displacement of the cut section disrupts the expectation of perfect alignment, introducing tension between order and imperfection. This quiet asymmetry transforms a static surface into something with implied movement or internal rhythm.

Technique & Style

Waldman employed graphite to trace and then blur the boundaries of the cut-out section, creating a hazy transition between the original and reattached paper. The use of ragboard, a sturdy archival material, supports the precision of the cut while allowing for subtle textural variation. The work’s restraint reflects a broader interest in process over expression.

History & Provenance

The work was made in 1965 and entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly thereafter. It is one of several experimental drawings from this period in which artists tested the limits of paper as a sculptural and conceptual medium. No prior ownership or exhibition history beyond the museum’s records is documented.

Context

In the mid-1960s, many artists turned to paper cutting, folding, and reassembly as a way to question traditional notions of drawing and composition. This work aligns with contemporaneous practices that prioritized material behavior over narrative, echoing trends in Minimalism and Process Art that valued the act of making over final appearance.

Legacy

Though not widely exhibited, the piece contributes to a broader understanding of how artists used simple materials to challenge perception. Its quiet intervention influenced later investigations into spatial ambiguity and the physicality of the page, particularly in works that treat paper as both support and subject.