Bruce Nauman

Acquired by the present owner directly from the artist circa 1966

Nauman’s first sculptures were created in 1965 using fiberglass and polyester resin. The slim forms evoke the proportions and shape of limbs, establishing Nauman’s contextual reference to his body that would continue throughout his work whether in film, photography, performance or neon. Yet with these early works, the primary focus for Nauman is the inherent properties of his material and his experimentations with the process of art.

Starting with a sculpted clay form, Nauman created a plaster mold from which he cast his fiberglass and resin works, often creating two forms – one from the outer shape of the mold and one from the inner shape of the mold.  Nauman mixed pigment in the resin prior to casting to add color to the works and to create variations in the translucence and transparency of the work. Untitled 1965 is the first and only fiberglass work to incorporate neon, a notable event since neon would figure so prominently in Nauman’s later revolutionary innovations. In constructing Untitled 1965, the two fiberglass molded halves are joined along the top seam which is infused with dark pigment. The inserted neon tubing glows a vivid and bright orange/red, animating the sculpture and highlighting the variations in pigment and tone. The only other work at this time to also use light within a sculptural form was the last in the series: Untitled, 1965, a large 8 foot high fiberglass and polyester resin form that encased an electric light within (Collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York).