bruce nauman: mindfuck exhibition at HAUSER & WIRTH, london

‘run from fear, fun from rear’, 1972 by bruce nauman
neon tubing with clear glass tubing suspension frame
two parts:
20.3 x 116.8 x 5.7 cm  / 8  x 46  x 2 1/4 in
18.4 x 113 x 5.7 cm  / 7 1/4 x 44 1/2 x 2 1/4 in
image © 2012 bruce nauman / artists rights society (ARS), new york / DACS london
private collection

bruce nauman: mindfuck
HAUSER & WIRTH london, savile row
on from the 30th of january through to the 9th of march, 2013

from the 30th of january, 2013 hauser and wirth will present the work of renowned artist bruce nauman with an exhibition titled ‘mindfuck’ in the north gallery, savile row. the show, featuring an eclectic selection of works from throughout nauman’s career, will focus particularly on his iconic neon sculptures and installations. the work triggers a critical dialogue surrounding a body of work whose central themes explore the human condition, language, sex, and death. the experience of works by nauman speaks of a certain state of trauma, a nod to the hysteric, and ode to the psychotic – to the consequences of the superego and to the logic of dreams.

weaved throughout the compositions is nauman’s bizarre ability to build visual and experiential manifestations that tap into the
complexity of the human unconscious. ‘mindfuck’ calls attention to the enduring weight of the mind-body split in the artist’s work –
neon sculptures such as ‘sex and death / double ’69’ (1985) and ‘good boy / bad boy’ (1986 – 1987) could be said to represent the
conscious and cerebral side of his art, whereas installations such as ‘carousel (stainless steel version)’ (1988) and
‘untitled (helman gallery parallelogram)’ (1971) focus on the phenomenological aspect of his exploration of perception, space, and the body. nauman’s artistic approach enters the worlds of psychology, anthropology, sociology, and behavioural science.
the artist once stated that he wanted to make ‘art that was just there all at once…like getting hit in the back of the neck with a baseball bat’.

‘sex and death/double ’69”, 1985
neon tubing on aluminium monolith
227 x 134.8 x 34 cm / 89 3/8 x 53 1/8 x 13 3/8 in
image © 2012 bruce nauman / artists rights society (ARS), new york / DACS london
private collection. courtesy hauser & wirth
photo: stefan altenburger photography zürich

‘untitled’ (helman gallery parallelogram) (detail), 1971
wallboard, green fluorescent lights
458 x 552 x 691 cm / 180 3/8 x 217 x 3/8 x 272 in
glenstone
image © 2012 bruce nauman / artists rights society (ARS), new york / DACS london

‘carousel (stainless steel version)’, 1988
stainless steel, cast aluminum, polyurethane foam, electric motor
height: 183 cm / 72 in
diameter: 612.1 cm / 241 in
image © 2012 bruce nauman / artists rights society (ARS), new york / DACS london
courtesy of the ydessa hendeles art foundation
photo: robert keziere

‘sex and death’, 1985
pencil, charcoal and watercolour on paper
approx. 200 x 228 cm  / c. 78 3/4 x 89 3/4 in
image © 2012 bruce nauman / artists rights society (ARS), new york / DACS london
private collection. courtesy hauser & wirth