Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a graphite drawing by VALIE EXPORT. It dates from 1971 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
The piece carries no title, aligning with her practice of rejecting conventional labeling to emphasize conceptual intent over formal classification.
Created in 1971, this pencil and ink drawing by VALIE EXPORT is part of a broader body of work that interrogates perception, presence, and the boundaries of artistic media. Executed on paper, it belongs to The Museum of Modern Art’s collection and exemplifies her shift between performance, film, and graphic expression. The piece carries no title, aligning with her practice of rejecting conventional labeling to emphasize conceptual intent over formal classification.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing depicts a woman standing beside a transparent box containing two curled, sleeping figures. Her raised hand suggests a gesture of address or interruption, possibly signaling an invitation to observe or engage. The enclosed figures may symbolize passive imagery or cinematic subjects, while the box functions as a literal and metaphorical frame. The inscription references Knud Pedersen, a Danish activist, linking the work to broader political and cultural dialogues of the era.
Technique & Style
Rendered in loose, expressive pencil and ink lines, the drawing embraces spontaneity over precision. The sketchy contours and minimal shading convey immediacy, reinforcing its role as a conceptual sketch rather than a finished illustration. The absence of color and the stark contrast between the figure and the box emphasize form and spatial relationships, aligning with the artist’s interest in stripping visual elements to their essential gestures.
History & Provenance
The work entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection as part of its commitment to documenting avant-garde practices from the 1970s. It stems from EXPORT’s period of intense experimentation with body-based and media-based art, following her early film and performance works. The inscription 'TAPP UND TAST KINO' references her 1968 performance piece, suggesting this drawing is a related conceptual extension, preserved as a document of her evolving practice.
Context
In the early 1970s, EXPORT was challenging patriarchal structures in art and media, often using her own body as a site of resistance. This drawing emerges alongside her broader critique of passive female representation in cinema. The reference to 'KINO' situates it within her interrogation of how film constructs viewer-subject dynamics, while the inclusion of a specific name ties the work to transnational activist networks of the time.
Legacy
The drawing remains a quiet but significant artifact of EXPORT’s interdisciplinary approach, bridging performance, drawing, and conceptual art. It illustrates how her early graphic works functioned as preparatory or reflective records of larger interventions. Today, it contributes to scholarly understanding of feminist and media-based art in postwar Europe, affirming the value of ephemeral practices within institutional archives.
Artist & collection
Artist
Waltraud Lehner (17 May 1940 – 14 May 2026), known professionally as Valie Export (stylized in all caps; German: ), was an Austrian avant-garde artist.
