Bruce Nauman is an American artist known for his multimedia works including sculpture, photography, video art and performance art. He was born in 1941 in Fort Wayne, Indiana and studied physics, mathematics and art. Some of his most famous works include neon signs that use word play to amuse and provoke thought, as well as installations that aim to induce feelings of unease, discomfort and claustrophobia in viewers by challenging norms and exploring themes of language, psychology and the human body. Overall, Nauman's satirical and unconventional works are meant to force different perspectives and bring attention to ignored issues.

1. BRUCE NAUMAN
BY VEDANT N. SANSARE (1604101)
“If I was an artist and I was in the studio, then everything I was doing in the
studio should be art.”

2. • Sculptor, Photographer, Video & Neon Artist as well as a Performer
• Lives in Galisteo, New Mexico
• Language, psyche, and body
• Big, bold and brash
• Challenging the norms
• Realization of ‘own’ physicality.
• Art as a research endeavor
OVERVIEW

3. • Born on December 6, 1941
• Grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Studied
• Physics and Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin (1960-64)
• Art with at the University of California (1965-65)
CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION

4. WORKS

5. THE TRUE ARTIST HELPS THE WORLD BY
REVEALING MYSTIC TRUTHS (1967)
• Process over product
• Purpose
• Role of the artist in the society.
• Medium
• Neon Art

6. RUN FROM FEAR, FUN FROM REAR (1972)
• Amused & embarrassed
• Purpose
• Language; wordplay.
• Medium
• Neon Art

7. CAROUSEL(1988)
• Unease & discomfort
• Purpose
• Animal Cruelty and torture
• Medium
• Sculpture

8. SOUTH AMERICAN TRIANGLE (1981)
• Unease
• Purpose
• Totalitarian regimes in
South America
• Medium
• Sculpture

9. GREEN LIGHT CORRIDOR(1970)
• Claustrophobic
• Purpose
• Realization of ‘own’ physicality
• Medium
• Performance

10. CLOWN TORTURE (1987)
• Angst and discomfort
• Purpose
• Break the illusion of art.
• Medium
• Video Art

11. CONCLUSION
• Nauman’s work
• Forced difference.
• Brings forward the ignored issues.
• Indirect
• Satirical

12. REFERENCES
• Pinar. "Incredible Bronze Hand Sculptures by Bruce Nauman." My Modern Met. Mymodernmet, 2 Sept.
2013. Web. <http://mymodernmet.com/bruce-nauman-fifteen-pairs-of-hands/>.
• Gagosian New York. "Bruce Nauman - 2015 - Gagosian." Bruce Nauman - 2015 - Gagosian. Gagosian
New York, 2015. Web. <http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/bruce-nauman--january-27-2015>.
• Dave Godowsky. "Clown Torture - Bruce Nauman, 1987." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Aug. 2009. Web.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YorcQscxV5Y>.
• At the Hub of Things. "At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection - Hirshhorn." Hirshhorn
Museum and Sculpture Garden | Smithsonian. At the Hub of Things, n.d. Web.
<http://hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/at-the-hub-of-things/>.
• Khan Academy. "Nauman, The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths." Khan
Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. <www.khanacademy.orghumanitiesglobal-cultureidentity-
bodyidentity-body-united-statesanauman-the-true-artist-helps-the-world-by-revealing-mystic-
truths>.
• Wikipedia. "Bruce Nauman." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Nauman>.

13. NOTES - I
• Slide - 2 (OVERVIEW)
• Nauman’s work is humorous, crude and satirical.
• Slide – 6 (RUN FROM FEAR, FUN FROM REAR)
• In itself its amusing but with the next sculpture, it becomes quite horrifying.
• Slide – 7 (CAROUSEL)
• Screaming greyhounds are dragged across the floor by their necks in a surreal
orbit.
• Chopped deer running from the hounds and hounds have fun pursuing them.
• What goes around comes around, dead presences wearily rotating. This work is
a carousel of torture.
• When viewed alongside the pained animals of Carousel, the sexual element of
both pieces are emphasized.

14. NOTES - II
• Slide - 8 (SOUTH AMERICAN TRIANGLE)
• An upside down chair, suspended over the center of a triangle.
• Companion piece “South African Diamond”.
• Slide – 9 (GREEN LIGHT CORRIDOR)
• Very narrow corridor, emitting green fluorescent light.
• The light shows every flaw, of your neighbors (strangers) following you through
with you.
• Suddenly an empty room, seems quite filled (invoking claustrophobia).
• Slide – 10 (CLOWN TORTURE)
• 5 videos. Each showing a clown performing a series of actions.
• 1 on projector and other on 4 televisions (1 on each).