Felix Gonzalez-Torres's work depicts the body in ways that differ greatly from traditional academic artists. He tends to focus on the absent body and mortality of the physical body. Gonzalez-Torres supported the belief that "conditions that remind us of mortality--aging, disability, pain, illness, and death--must not be hidden" (McDaniel and Robertson 94). His photo, Projects 34, depicts his disheveled bed with imprints of the head and body still in the sheets and pillows. It is obvious that two bodies recently slept in this bed. Gonzalez-Torres created the piece upon the loss of his long time lover, Ross, to AIDS. The photograph not only emphasizes death of the physical body but also its longevity. If untouched, the pillows, sheets, and mattress will remain forever in the shape Ross left them. Gonzalez-Torres is able to effectively represent the head and torso without showing the actual bodies (Umland).
Gonzalez-Torres was also concerned with the ever-changing body. He thought that "we need to perceive the body in its raw physicality and in all its changing shapes and states" (McDaniel and Robertson 94). His piece, Untitled (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), deals again with the loss of the body and its ability to change. In Minimalist fashion, he uses metallic colored candies to serve as the body of his lost lover Ross. He collected enough candy to equal the weight of Ross before he was diagnosed with AIDS. He piled them in the corner of a room to represent Ross in his healthy state. Viewers were encouraged to take a piece of candy from the installation as a representation of his decaying body due to the disease. This way, the audience is able to change the piece and become an active participant (Arnason and Mansfield 761). In my opinion, Gonzalez-Torres's ability to represent the body in these works without ever showing a body part makes him one of the most innovative "figurative" artists in recent years.
Arnason, H.H., and Elizabeth C. Mansfield. History of Modern Art. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010. 761. Print.
McDaniel, Craig, and Jean Robertson. Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual Art after 1980. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2010. 94. Print.
Umland, Anne. "Felix Gonzalez-Torres." Creative Time, Inc.. 1992. The Modern Museum of Art, Web. 27 Jan 2010. http://www.creativetime.org/programs/archive/2000/Torres/torres/umland.html
I love the ideas behind how Felix Gonzalez-Torres depicts the human body, or lack there of. Instead of showing a body, he alludes to the idea that a body was once there. I like when you stated that "the photograph not only emphasizes death of the physical body but also its longevity. If untouched, the pillows, sheets, and mattress will remain forever in the shape Ross left them". I think that this statement really sums up what it is Torres wanted the viewer to get from his photographs.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad the condition these works have been produced. It is brilliant that Gonzalez-Torres uses a negative space in the sheets to represent the human form- himself and his lover- he communicates quite well the void in his life. The viewers taking candy from the pile and making the pile diminish makes me think of the initial response of AIDS- it was not believe to be a disease and for too long, nothing was done about it and as a result many people died. It is uplifting that the candy was replenished, in a way, it was hopeful- spread the knowledge and prevent deterioration (from the disease).
ReplyDeleteFelix Gonzalez-Torres' piece Untitled is so incredibly powerful. The absence of the figure allows for much more investigation and interpretation than if a body were within the bed. Who was in the bed? What were they doing? Why aren't they there anymore? The ruffled covers causes my mind to wonder. Catherine mentioned that the "work depicts the body in ways that differ greatly from traditional academic artists. He tends to focus on the absent body and mortality of the physical body." The emptiness of the photo forces the viewer to question the scene. This image bounces back and forth as a symbol of renewal and death. The emptiness points to the fact that something/ someone was once indeed within the sheets. However, the emptiness shows that they are gone. Gonzalez- Torres' image is very powerful and brings to mind an infinite number of questions.
ReplyDeleteYes, the works of art by Felix Gonzalez-Torres including the bilboard 'Untitled' and candy instillation 'Untiled' are powerful in their investigation and appreciation of the human body by means of loss/ renewal and life/death, Torres' contribution to the contemporary art world is evident in his redefining and appropriation of minimalism. Once just a movement entirely focussed on the removal of subjectivity, meaning and narrative Torres succeeds in removing the sanctity of minimalism by applying cultural and personal meaning to his work.
ReplyDeleteLike hi piece 'Untitled (Perfect Lovers)' in which two clocks are set to the exact time but then after time fall out of sync, Torres interjects meaning and history into the definition of his piece. He states that time, as a conduit of minimalism and the idea as a set definition, is ever changing. Time, relationships and death are all effected by time and its ability to change and become out of sync. Torres is an innovative artist in that he expands upon the idea of minimalism by incorporating said objects, ideas and stories into culture.