Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Sarah Lucas. It dates from 1991 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The work resists linear reading, instead inviting fragmented attention, as if the viewer were sifting through private notes or overheard fragments.
Created in 1991, this pencil drawing by Sarah Lucas consists of five folded sections of paper, forming a compact, envelope-like structure. The surface is covered with a scattered list of words, written in varying handwritings—some precise, others smudged or hurried. The work resists linear reading, instead inviting fragmented attention, as if the viewer were sifting through private notes or overheard fragments.
Subject & Meaning
The words—such as 'animal,' 'bat,' 'slut,' and 'witch'—draw from colloquial and often derogatory language used to describe women. Their juxtapositions evoke societal stereotypes, gendered insults, and cultural caricatures. The absence of punctuation or hierarchy suggests an unfiltered stream of thought, challenging viewers to confront the casual violence embedded in everyday speech.
Technique & Style
Executed in pencil on paper, the work emphasizes impermanence and immediacy. Letters vary in pressure and form, some carefully rendered, others smudged or crossed out. The folded structure transforms the drawing into a physical object, blurring the line between document and artifact. The irregular layout resists formal composition, reinforcing a sense of spontaneity and rawness.
History & Provenance
The work entered the collection of The Museum of Modern Art in the early 1990s, shortly after its creation. It was produced during a period when Lucas was actively exploring language, identity, and the body through direct, confrontational means. Its inclusion in the museum’s holdings reflects its significance within the context of 1990s British conceptual art practices.
Context
Made during a time of heightened feminist discourse in the UK, the piece engages with the reclamation and subversion of derogatory terms. Lucas’s use of text aligns with broader artistic strategies of the era that prioritized verbal aggression and domestic materials to disrupt traditional notions of femininity and decorum. The folded format echoes personal correspondence, lending intimacy to politically charged content.
Legacy
This work remains a touchstone in discussions of language as a tool of power and resistance. Its unadorned presentation and emotional ambiguity have influenced subsequent artists working with text, gender, and the archive. The piece’s enduring relevance lies in its quiet insistence on the weight of words—how they shape perception, and how easily they can be discarded or reclaimed.
Artist & collection
Artist
Sarah Lucas is an English artist. She is part of the generation of Young British Artists who emerged in 1988. Her works frequently employ visual puns and bawdy humour by incorporating photography, sculpture, collage and found objects.
