days

When I was in New York last weekend, I went to MoMA with a friend and though the Matisse show was a little too crowded and a little too academic to truly comprehend amid the people and my restless mind (the people were just so good looking! And so well dressed! I couldn't stop looking at them instead of the art and the beautifully curated show!), the new Bruce Nauman piece Days, made for the 2009 Venice Biennale, blew me away.

From each of the hanging panels, a different person's voice recited the days of the week (with some misses and confusion) and the cacophony and the specificity of voices as you walked down the long room washed over me. It is really an incredible piece and one you cannot even begin to understand through photographs or description. We can talk about what it means--passing time, systems, our daily lives, but it's nothing without experiencing the piece.

I had a drink with my friend Perry that night and in my excitement about relating this experience, encouraged him to go see it himself. He has since written the most amazing fake interview with Bruce Nauman with some really excellent insights about the work and probably the best sense you'll get without seeing it yourself. Some of my favorite excerpts:

PG: There are a lot of art historical references going on in Days. Can you talk about a few?

BN: I’d rather not get into that.

...

PG: Is aggression something you value in your work.

BN: Well, I’ve never gone for art that is limp-wristed and mousy. I want to make assertive pieces that stand on their own and that stand up to the viewer. Let’s not forget that viewers of works of art have tremendous power. For one – they think.

Read the whole thing here (Perry, you are a genius) and go see the piece (only up at MoMA until August 23)! Yay for good artwork.