Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a print by Fiona Banner. It dates from 2010 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2010, Untitled is a small-scale work by British artist Fiona Banner that employs a postcard as its support.
Created in 2010, Untitled is a small-scale work by British artist Fiona Banner that employs a postcard as its support. The piece consists of a black‑and‑white drawing applied directly to a metal surface, depicting a suited stick‑figure laboring with a wheelbarrow filled with pointed objects, accompanied by the caption “Buster Gonad and has unfeasibly large testicles” rendered in an informal hand. It is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The image juxtaposes a banal, corporate figure with absurd, exaggerated language, hinting at Banner’s ongoing interest in the ways visual culture translates militaristic or heroic narratives into everyday contexts. The phrase “Buster Gonad” and the reference to oversized testicles function as a satirical commentary on the hyper‑masculine tropes often found in war cinema and related propaganda.
Technique & Style
Banner’s drawing is executed in quick, gestural lines that emphasize immediacy over polish. The work is affixed to a metal plane near a hatch and rivets, integrating the industrial material into the composition. The stark monochrome palette and crude lettering reinforce a raw, sketch‑like aesthetic that aligns with the artist’s practice of merging text and image.
History & Provenance
Fiona Banner, born in 1966, has worked across sculpture, drawing, installation and text, frequently interrogating the visual language of fighter aircraft and Hollywood war films. Untitled continues this trajectory, echoing earlier “wordscapes” derived from cinematic sources. The piece entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection shortly after its creation and remains on display as part of the institution’s contemporary art holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Fiona Banner (born 1966), also known as The Vanity Press, is a British artist. Her work encompasses sculpture, drawing, installation and text, and demonstrates a long-standing fascination with the emblem of fighter…
