"The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths" 1967

This next artwork of Nauman's was created in the beginning of his neon phenomenon. Sticking with a theme, it is made from neon tubing and clear glass tubing suspension frame. The words read "The true artist helps the world by revealing mystic truths" in a light blue neon light. The words are surrounded by a red florescent light forming the shape of a spiral. The phrase itself is something that mainly only artists can understand, for they have no fear of revealing anything. In a way, the work can act as a means of communication for artists everywhere.



I think The True Artist Helps the World b Revealing Mystic Truths is a very attractive piece of artwork. I know I'm no artist, but these words make me understand more what artists feel when they're creating their masterpieces. Also I see where it would be an influence to other artists. I like that Nauman uses the word "mystic" because its ambiguous as to what he's talking about. With this word he could be taking about anything spiritual, mysterious, natural, or of any other significance. I also like that he uses the contrasting colors of red and blue. These colors make it easy for the viewer to read the words, even though they are in cursive.

As far as a comparing identity to any other artworks, nobody other artist comes to mind except Bruce Nauman himself. Nauman's neon artworks have captured my attention in a way that no other artist has. This piece just reminds me of his other popular neon works such as None Sing Neon Sign and One Hundred Live and Die. However, it does make me appreciate artists and what they create because it can really make an inartistic person think.


Bibliography:
http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/31965.html
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-nauman10-2008jun10,0,383011.story

"Life, Death, Love, Hate, Pleasure, Pain" 1983

In this piece of artwork, Bruce Nauman once again uses florescent lights as his medium. Also, Nauman sticks with a theme of geometry as this piece is a series of words in the shape of a circle. The words are arranged so that they are adjacent to their opposite word. For example, life is connected to death, love to hate, and pleasure to pain. The words "love" and "hate" are shown with colors in which they are mostly associated with, a warm, fierce red and pink. Once again this piece doesn't have reference to sexual content, as many of Nauman's works had. But of course you can link the words love and pleasure to a sexual idea.


I love this piece of artwork because it describes the most powerful abstract nouns in a human being's life. For instance, at one point in everyone's life, they are in love, loved by, or just loved. The two words that are easiest to read are "love" and "life". This caught my eye and I was fond of it because these are my two favorite words in this artwork. I think the circle framing is ironic because it is almost as if Nauman is displaying that this is the life cycle at its best. In broad terms, these words are what life is all about.

This work reminds me of nothing other than my own life. Each individual word takes me back to a place where I felt love, hate, pleasure, pain, and where I experienced life and death. More specifically the word life reminds me of the day my niece was born, the word death reminds me of the day my sister was taken away by cancer, the word love reminds me of how much I'm loved by my family and close friends, the word hate reminds me of the one and only person I hate, the word pleasure reminds me of what makes me happy, and the word pain reminds me of the time I got my wisdom teeth taken out.

Bibliography:
www.artnet.com/magazineus/news/ntm/ntm1-1-06.asp
http://www.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/interviews/ldlhpp.html

"Violins Violence Silence" 1981-82

Bruce Nauman's Violins Violence Silence is a self-explanatory neon work displaying the words "violins, violence, silence". The work is made out of neon tubing and is suspended with a clear glass frame. The piece of work is an arrangement of letters colored bright yellow, red, blue, green, and orange. As the base, the word "silence" is displayed running left to right and right to left. Standing almost vertically, but tilted inside to an angle, are two versions of the word "violins" on the sides. Making a triangle with the base and crossing at the top are the two different words "violence". (Sotheby's)

Violins Violence Silence has been shown in over fifteen different exhibits from all around the world. Nauman uses light, specifically neon light, as his medium in approximately 50 pieces of artwork. This piece doesn't show any sexually provocative words or images that the majority of Nauman's works show. Instead it gives off a more political vibe. Whether it being the on-going environment and feminist movement, guaranteed anybody could look at this piece of artwork and think of a political issue that they wish it could solve.

Violins Violence Silence struck of great interest to me because these words are very powerful. Even more so, I think the neon lights and color expand their power to the viewers. Looking at this art makes me think, was Bruce Nauman making and equation with these words? It would make sense to me after looking at it for so lng and thinking. For example, my thoughts are that he would use the words "violence" + "violins" = "silence". It interests me even more that Nauman overlapped the word "silence" so that it is almost unreadable, where the other words are quite clearly displayed. Is he trying to shut out this word, but at the same time keeping it included to make the piece seem more poetic with rhyme?

I can't compare this artwork with any other piece off the top of my head. However looking at these words makes me think of the movie the Titanic. It takes me back to the scene where the gigantic ship is sinking and as everybody on the ship is running crazy, a group of players from the orchestra band are still there playing their string instruments. The orchestra is playing soothing music to try to calm the passenger down but it obviously doesn't work. This also makes me think that this may be their way of finding silence and peach within themselves as they prepare for their deaths. At the same time that this is happening, people are fighting each other to get onto rescue boats, a prime example of the violence that took place.

Bibliography:
http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Bruce_Nauman_at_MOCA.html
http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetailPrintable.jsp?lot_id=159559559