Untitled

Untitled

Ray Johnson

1972

gouache

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This piece looks like a collage of different objects glued onto dark paper. There’s a black-and-white photo of two people—a shirtless man holding a ball and a woman in a fur coat. Above it, a small sketch of a face with bold lines and a lace doily. To the left, a makeup compact and a folded piece of paper with a drawing. The background has lots of white stitch-like marks and a few scattered symbols. The mix of photos, lace, and drawings makes it feel like a scrapbook someone carefully put together. The title is just "Untitled," so there’s no clear story—it’s more about the random items and how they fit together. If you like this style, check out Ray Johnson.

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