SIGNS OF THE TIMES
High up on the gallery wall a pink neon sign reads ‘Fun From Fear’, then flicks to a yellow warning: ‘Run From Fear’. Welcome to the eerie funhouse that is the Tate Modern’s new retrospective of US video artist Bruce Nauman. It’s the ideal day out for those who take a highbrow attitude towards weirdness.
It’s terrific people-watching too. I start off by watching a fellow visitor in a silver-sequined cape and diamanté-style Elton John specs transfixed by Pinch Neck (1968), a giant video projection of Nauman (eyes obscured) massaging his face in slow motion. Meanwhile, ghastly groans are coming through the walls…
I creep round the corner to find Room 4: Clown Torture (1987). One of Nauman’s signature works, it’s a black room filled with several video monitors featuring a circus clown rocking back and forth in apparent screaming agony, while another shows him sitting hunched on a disabled toilet. It’s very, very creepy and the sound is very distressing.
The next room is dominated by Double Steel Cage Piece (1974) where two cages the size of a prison cell are contained one inside the other, with a narrow gap in between that visitors could enter – except they can’t now because of Covid. Boo! However, you can still turn yourself into art with the excitingly titled Going Around The Corner Piece With Live And Taped Monitors (1970), where you walk towards a CCTV on one side of a wall, then turn the corner to watch yourself disappearing round the other side.
What’s it about? Who knows? Thankfully you’re not expected to. ‘Throughout his long career, Nauman has refused to assign specific meanings to his artworks,’ declares the Tate’s exhibition notes. ‘He thereby encourages viewers to bring their own specific experiences to the work and to create alternative readings.’
You can always take refuge in the gift shop. Full of oddities like a Gilbert & George wooden toys, limitededition Andy Warhol skateboards and feminist jigsaws it’s our go-to for those tricky ‘what can I get them for Christmas?’ people.
Bruce Nauman runs until February 21 at Tate Modern, tate.org.uk