"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