“Self Portrait as a Fountain”, 1966-67, Printed 1970, Photograph (Chromogenic Print)
In this photograph, Nauman is using his own body to mimic the nude figures in ornamental fountains. To quote the Whitney Museum of American Art regarding this piece: “During the period in which he made this work, Nauman used the statement “The true artist is an amazing luminous fountain” in a number of text-based works. This playful illustration of the statement satirizes the cliché of the artist as a prolific genius who spews forth a steady stream of masterpieces” (Link). Here he is further using his own body as a communicative tool, and also further exploring the artist’s role as an authority or a person who delivers wisdom to the viewer.
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(From Guggenheim.org)
“Green Light Corridor”, 1970, Neon light/wood in gallery space
This work uses, like many of Nauman’s works, colored light, which he has used frequently in his career. He involves the viewer in the piece and invites them to walk through it. The viewer’s experience is part of the work, and this work is not finished without someone to experience it.
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“None Sing Neon Sign”, 1970, Neon sign
This work further shows Nauman’s use of neon in his work. It also deals with language/communication (specifically with the word play) and the artist as a communicator. In this, Nauman employs his characteristic humor and wordplay.
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“Raw War”, 1971, Lithograph on paper
This work follows a similar aesthetic to the neon signs, and further explores wordplay with this palindrome. This is yet another example of Nauman’s interest in language and communication.
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“Run from Fear, Fun from Rear”, 1972, Neon sign
This is a further use of language, wordplay, and communicative art by Nauman.
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“Tony Sinking into the Floor, Face Up, and Face Down”, 1973, Video, 60 minutes
In this video Nauman hired an actor to pretend to sink into the floor. He repeated the exercise in multiple positions, as the title suggests. Nauman said about the shooting session: “He was lying on his back and after about fifteen minutes he started choking and coughing. He sat up and said, ‘I did it too fast and scared myself.’ He didn’t want to do it again, but did it anyway. At another time we were watching his hand through the camera and it was behaving very strangely. We asked him about it later and he said that he was afraid to move his hand because he thought he might lose his molecules.”
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“Henry Moore Bound to Fail (Back View)”, 1967-70, cast iron
This is a cast iron sculpture Nauman made in reference to the sculptor Henry Moore. Moore was a dominant figure in sculpture at the time, so much so that young artists of the time resented being in his shadow. In typical tongue-in-cheek fashion, Nauman has made a reference to this resentment. This piece portrays Moore tied up (bound) from a back view. This is a further example of Nauman’s humor being a key element of his work. It also relates to his interest in language, with the word “bound” having a double meaning in the title. Moore is “bound” to fail because of the increasing criticism, but is also literally bound (tied-up). This type of wordplay has been key to many of Nauman’s works thus far, particularly in his neon signs.