Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Rodney Graham. It dates from 2009 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Rodney Graham produced this photogravure in 2009 as part of his exploration of historical imagery and cinematic stillness. The work is a printed photograph, not a painting, and belongs to The Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Graham, a key figure in the Vancouver School, often recontextualizes visual tropes from film and photography to examine time, perception, and narrative suspension.
Subject & Meaning
The image shows a man in a long coat and hat standing beside a saddled horse, both oriented to the right. The setting includes a stone wall and the edge of a building, suggesting a rural or frontier environment. Neither figure engages with the viewer; their stillness evokes a moment paused, inviting reflection on isolation, tradition, or the passage of time without explicit narrative.
Technique & Style
Graham employed photogravure, a printmaking process known for its rich tonal range and subtle gradations. The light falls from the left, casting deep shadows and highlighting textures in fabric, fur, and stone. This chiaroscuro effect enhances three-dimensionality while reinforcing the image’s quiet, almost theatrical atmosphere, aligning with Graham’s interest in cinematic lighting.
History & Provenance
Created in 2009, the work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its production. It is one of several photogravures Graham made during this period, drawing from archival photographs and reworking them through analog processes. Its acquisition by MoMA reflects institutional recognition of his contribution to contemporary photographic practice.
Context
The photogravure’s vintage aesthetic contrasts with its contemporary production, creating a tension between past and present.
Graham’s work often engages with early 20th-century visual culture, including silent film and Western iconography. This piece aligns with his broader practice of revisiting archetypal figures—cowboys, scholars, musicians—to question how meaning is constructed through repetition and medium. The photogravure’s vintage aesthetic contrasts with its contemporary production, creating a tension between past and present.
Legacy
Graham’s use of photogravure in this piece underscores his commitment to labor-intensive, analog methods in an increasingly digital art world. His reinterpretation of historical imagery has influenced a generation of artists interested in the materiality of photographic representation and the psychological weight of visual clichés.
Artist & collection
Artist
William Rodney Graham (January 16, 1949 – October 22, 2022) was a Canadian visual artist and musician. He was closely associated with the Vancouver School.
