Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Rachel Whiteread. It dates from 1997 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The use of graph paper as a base underscores an interest in measurement and structure, while layered materials introduce texture and ambiguity to the image.
Created in 1997, this drawing by Rachel Whiteread combines graphite, ink, varnish, and a cut-and-pasted color photocopy on graph paper. It belongs to a body of work focused on the quiet presence of ordinary structures, particularly those that define urban environments. The use of graph paper as a base underscores an interest in measurement and structure, while layered materials introduce texture and ambiguity to the image.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a tall, narrow water tower resting on a black X-shaped support, set against a faint city skyline. The repetition of vertical lines across the tower suggests both structural detail and a sense of isolation. By isolating this utilitarian object, Whiteread draws attention to its overlooked form, transforming it into a silent monument to everyday infrastructure and the spaces it occupies.
Technique & Style
Whiteread layers graphite and ink over a photocopied image, then seals the surface with varnish, creating a hybrid surface that blurs reproduction and hand-drawn mark-making. The graph paper grid subtly guides composition without dominating it, reinforcing her interest in architectural precision. The resulting texture is neither fully photographic nor fully drawn, evoking the tension between documentation and interpretation.
History & Provenance
Made in 1997, the work emerged during a period when Whiteread was actively engaged with the Young British Artists movement. It coincided with her inclusion in the controversial *Sensation* exhibition at the Royal Academy, which brought wider attention to her practice. Though not a sculpture, the drawing extends her ongoing investigation into negative space and architectural memory, themes central to her Turner Prize-winning work.
Context
In the late 1990s, Whiteread’s focus on mundane architectural elements reflected broader cultural interest in the aesthetics of the ordinary. Her work responded to post-industrial urban landscapes, where structures like water towers functioned as both practical fixtures and silent witnesses to daily life. This drawing aligns with contemporaneous efforts by artists to reframe the overlooked as worthy of contemplation.
Legacy
Though less known than her large-scale sculptures, this drawing exemplifies Whiteread’s consistent approach: revealing the unseen through material precision and quiet composition. Its integration of industrial imagery with handcrafted techniques influenced later artists exploring the intersection of architecture, memory, and medium. The work remains a quiet but significant thread in her broader exploration of space and absence.
Artist & collection
Artist
Dame Rachel Whiteread (born 20 April 1963) is an English artist who primarily produces sculptures, which typically take the form of casts.
