Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a charcoal drawing by Philip Guston. It dates from 1968 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
A prominent clock face dominates the composition, its hands frozen near six‑o’clock, while two elongated arms extend outward, clutching an ambiguous implement.
Philip Guston’s 1968 charcoal drawing, untitled, resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Executed on paper, the work presents a stark, monochrome urban tableau rendered in rapid, irregular lines. A prominent clock face dominates the composition, its hands frozen near six‑o’clock, while two elongated arms extend outward, clutching an ambiguous implement. The overall effect is one of disquieting abstraction, evoking a dreamlike cityscape.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing juxtaposes recognizable urban elements, a skyline of angular structures and a central timepiece, with surreal, almost mechanical appendages. The clock, a conventional symbol of order, is rendered as a looming landmark, its static hands suggesting a suspended moment. The reaching arms, bearing an indeterminate object, introduce a sense of agency or intervention, hinting at themes of control, temporality, and the uncanny within everyday environments.
Technique & Style
Guston employs charcoal in a loose, gestural manner, favoring swift, uneven strokes over refined modeling. The lack of gradated shading creates a raw, textured surface, while the jagged outlines of the buildings and the stark silhouette of the clock emphasize a stark, graphic quality. This approach aligns with the artist’s broader shift toward expressive, figurative drawing during the late 1960s.
History & Provenance
Created in 1968, the untitled charcoal work entered the Museum of Modern Art’s holdings as part of its ongoing acquisition of mid‑century American art. Its inclusion reflects MoMA’s interest in documenting Guston’s transitional period, when he moved from abstract expressionism toward a more figurative, narrative-driven practice.
Artist & collection
Artist
Philip Guston was a Canadian and American painter, printmaker, muralist and draftsman.
