Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Robert Gober. It dates from 2003 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2003, this untitled drawing by Robert Gober is a modest pencil rendering on lined notebook paper. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it is displayed among the artist’s other investigations of ordinary objects.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts a simple rectangular form, suggestive of a box, encircled by a length of string or twine. The composition isolates the everyday object, inviting contemplation of its materiality and the quiet tension between containment and restraint.
Technique & Style
Executed with graphite on ruled paper, the drawing relies on clean, precise lines and minimal shading. The choice of notebook paper adds an informal, almost diary‑like quality, while the pencil medium yields a soft, delicate surface that emphasizes the drawing’s understated gesture.
History & Provenance
The piece was produced by Gober in the early 2000s and subsequently acquired by MoMA. Its inclusion in the museum’s collection reflects the institution’s interest in the artist’s practice of employing modest, domestic materials to explore larger conceptual concerns.
Context
Gober’s oeuvre frequently engages with commonplace items—doors, cabinets, plumbing fixtures—recasting them as sites of personal and cultural significance. This drawing extends that inquiry, using the humble format of a school notebook to foreground the ordinary as a subject of artistic focus.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robert Gober is an American sculptor. His work is often related to domestic and familiar objects such as sinks, doors, and legs.
