Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by Toba Khedoori. It dates from 1997 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The composition depicts an architectural façade, rendered with delicate line work that outlines windows, roofs and other structural elements.
Created in 1997, this drawing consists of pencil marks rendered on a collage of torn, transparentized sheets that have been taped together and adhered to a backing paper. The composition depicts an architectural façade, rendered with delicate line work that outlines windows, roofs and other structural elements. The overall effect is subdued and ethereal, as the semi‑transparent support allows light to pass through, softening the image’s presence.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents a schematic representation of a building, reduced to its essential outlines and openings. By stripping away surface detail and employing a light, almost provisional hand, the artist invites contemplation of architectural form as a conceptual construct rather than a finished edifice, suggesting ideas of memory, fragmentation, and the transitory nature of built environments.
Technique & Style
The artist employed a thin, see‑through paper that had been treated to become translucent, then tore it into irregular pieces and reassembled them with tape. Pencil was used to execute fine, cross‑hatched lines that delineate architectural features. The combination of torn substrate and delicate drawing creates a ghostly, layered surface that blurs the boundary between drawing and collage.
History & Provenance
The drawing was produced by an Australian‑born artist of Iraqi‑Jewish descent after she relocated to the United States in the late 1980s. It entered the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of contemporary drawing and mixed‑media works.
Context
During the 1990s the artist was known for large‑scale, meticulously rendered pieces on wax‑coated paper. This smaller work reflects a parallel interest in architectural motifs and the exploration of materiality, aligning with broader contemporary investigations into the intersection of drawing, surface, and spatial perception.
Artist & collection
Artist
Toba Khedoori (Arabic: توبا خضوري; born 1964) is an Australian-born artist, of Iraqi–Jewish heritage.
