Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by Leonid Tishkov. It dates from 1992 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1992, this untitled work consists of a portfolio of sixteen lithographs, each bound by a lithographed cover. The series is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection. Its visual focus is a modest drawing that depicts a small table supporting a round, cake‑like object pierced by a fork, accompanied by a handwritten Russian caption.
Subject & Meaning
The central image presents a solitary table bearing a pastry with a fork, suggesting a moment of consumption or interruption. Above, a bold, uneven sign reads “НАТОР МОРТЫ,” which can be rendered as “Stuffed Death,” juxtaposing the domestic act of eating with a darker, perhaps satirical, commentary on mortality.
Technique & Style
Executed in lithography, the images employ the medium’s capacity for fine line work and flat tonal areas. The drawing’s simplicity, clean outlines, limited shading, and a stark background, highlights the graphic quality of the print, while the irregular lettering reinforces a hand‑drawn, informal aesthetic.
History & Provenance
Leonid Tishkov produced the series in the early post‑Soviet period, a time of artistic experimentation in Russia. The portfolio entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings through acquisition in the late 1990s, where it remains catalogued as an untitled work, reflecting the artist’s preference for open interpretation.
Artist & collection
