October 29, 2004
Eat/Death
Bruce Nauman 1972
neon, edition of 6
7 1/2 x 25 1/4 x 2 1/8 inches
19.1 x 64.1 x 5.4 cm
~While looking at the small pictures of art at this gallery I'm reminded that I've spent more time around particular trees, among various weeds and looking at birds then I have with museum quality objects of art. I've seen one Bruce Nauman exhibit, looked at the exhibit catalog, and read an interview and a magazine article or two. I've also thought about his work a few times over the years. All of this adding up to a "Bruce Nauman Experience" of about four hours.
I've spent more time thinking about and looking at the turkey vultures around the nuclear plant.
Would living with a Bruce Nauman sculpture be the same as seeing a turkey vulture floating on a thermal everytime I looked out the window? How about if I owned/had access to one Bruce Nauman sculpture for every turkey vulture I've ever seen?
Am I making too much of turkey vultures? Too little of Bruce Nauman?
In the world where people purchase (or are paid to report on, write about) Bruce Nauman's art there's no way to compare vultures and sculptures.