Then again, don’t.
Foreground: Constantin Brancusi || Torso of a Young Man || 1924
During his relatively brief career, Felix Gonzales-Torres expanded the language of Conceptual art by rethinking the reproduction, circulation, and presentation of artwork. ”Untitled” (For Jeff) belongs to the artist’s Billboard series which consists of works displayed simultaneously in multiple locations around a city. Collectively, the series creates a viewing community that spans several neighbourhoods and demographic groups. Dedicated to Jeff, a healthcare worker who cared for the artist’s dying partner, this particular work publicly addresses the AIDS crisis of the early 1990s.
Hung from a nearly transparent nylon string, the steel disc becomes a mere tool to demarcate the small, blank space beneath it. The artist’s aim is to make the void palpable, to create a presence from absence, and to overcome the materialization of ideas.
The Hirshhorn, Washington D.C.
March 18th, 2019
The Humble Fabulist 