‘one hundred fish fountain’ by bruce nauman image © bruce nauman. courtesy gagosian gallery. photography by robert mckeever

bruce nauman: one hundred fish fountain gagosian gallery, madison avenue, new york on now through august 24, 2012

renowned american artist bruce nauman has his large scale sculpture, ‘one hundred fish fountain’, exhibited at the gagosian gallery, madison avenue in new york. the piece is composed of a school of hollow bronze fish, suspended in the air on wires, as if they are swimming in their natural surroundings. underneath lies a basin, carefully fabricated from rubber sheeting, measuring 25 feet by 28 feet.

some of the aquatic creatures are set a mere foot or two above the hollow while others hang as high as ten feet. water is pumped sporadically into each of them via curling tubes. once the fish are full with water, they shoot water from various perforations pictured across their body.

the fountain of liquid produces an effect akin to a natural waterfall. the display runs like this for fifteen minutes, shuts down for two, and then the cycle repeats. as the pumping comes to a halt, the fluid slows to a drip until it ceases altogether. the bleeding water is caught in the basin below, where it is dispersed so that the exposition can begin again.

bruce nauman: one hundred fish fountain at gagosian gallery

‘one hundred fish fountain’ by bruce nauman image © bruce nauman. courtesy gagosian gallery. photography by robert mckeever