Bruce Nauman’s wildly influential, relentlessly imitated work explores the poetics of confusion, anxiety, boredom, entrapment, and failure. One of the artist’s most spectacular achievements to date, Clown Torture consists of two rectangular pedestals, each supporting two pairs of stacked color monitors; two large color-video projections on two facing walls; and sound from all six video displays. The monitors play four narrative sequences in perpetual loops, each chronicling an absurd misadventure of a clown (played to brilliant effect by the actor Walter Stevens). In “No, No, No, No (Walter),” the clown incessantly screams the word no while jumping, kicking, or lying down; in “Clown with Goldfish,” the clown struggles to balance a fish bowl on the ceiling with the handle of a broom; in “Clown with Water Bucket,” the clown repeatedly opens a door booby-trapped with a bucket of water that falls on his head; and finally, in “Pete and Repeat,” the clown succumbs to the terror of a seemingly inescapable nursery rhyme. The simultaneous presentation and the relentless repetition creates an almost painful sensory overload. With both clown and viewer locked in an endless loop of failure and degradation, the humor soon turns to horror.
Date
Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.
Kim Bradley, “Bruce Nauman: the Private and the Public,” Artspace 11, 3 (Summer 1987), 62-–63.
Joseph Simas, “Letter from Belgium & France,” Arts Magazine 64 (November 1989), 113–4.
Marvin Heiferman, John G. Hanhardt, and Lisa Phillips, Image World: Art and Media Culture, exh. cat. (New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1989), 164 (ill.).
Luciano Fabro, Willem A. L. Beeren, Frits Keers, and Din Pieters, Energieen, exh. cat. (Amsterdam: Stedelijk Museum, 1990), 58, 59, 60-65 (color ill.).
Jörg Zutter and Franz Mayer, Bruce Nauman: Skulpturen und Installationen 1985-1990, exh. cat. (Köln: DuMont, 1990), cover page (ill.), 27 (ill.), as fig. 31, 106.
Brooks Adams, “The Nauman Phenomenon,” Art and Auction 13, 5 (New York: December 1990), 118–125.
Jörg Zutter, “Alienation of the Self, Command of the Other: In the work of Bruce Nauman,” Parkett 27 (1991), 157, 158 (ill.).
Jörg Zutter and Franz Mayer, Bruce Nauman: Sculptures et Installations 1985-1990, exh. cat. (Lausanne: Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts & Ludion, 1991), cover (color ill.), 27 (ill.), n.p. (ills), 106.
Christop Schenker, “Bruce Nauman: Tears of a Clown,” Flash Art 158 (May–June 1991), 126.
Kathy Halbreich, Neal David Benezra, and Joan Simon, Bruce Nauman, exh. cat. (Madrid: El Museo; Minneapolis: Walker Art Center, 1993), 39, 66, 70, 136 (color ill.).
Neal David Benezra, Joan Simon, and Kathy Halbreich, Bruce Nauman: Exhibition Catalogue and Catalogue Raisonné, first edition, exh. cat. (Minneapolis: Walker Art Center, 1994), 41, 42, 80, 88, 167 (color ill.), 179, 303 (color ill.), 383.
Toby Kamps, Bruce Nauman: A Guide to the Exhibition, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, July 17-September 25, 1994, exh. guide (Los Angeles: The Museum of Contemporary Art, 1994), 17 (ill.), as cat. 59.
Peter Schjeldahl, “The Trouble with Nauman,” Art in America 82, 4 (April 1994), 82–90, cover (ill.).
Suzanne Muchnic, “Los Angeles: Bruce Nauman, Museum of Contemporary Art,” ARTnews 93 (October 1994), 192–3 (ill.).
Kathryn Hixson, “Fear of Games/Games of Fear: Nauman: Good and Bad,” The New Art Examiner 22 (December 1994), 32–5 (ill.).
Leo Castelli and Susan Brundage, Bruce Nauman: 25 Years Leo Castelli (New York: Rizzoli, 1994), n.p., (ill.).
Peter Plagens and Lane Relyea, “Head Trips,” Artforum 33, no. 8 (April 1995), 62–9 (ill.).
Isabelle Graw, “Just Being Doesn’t Amount to Anything (Some Themes in Bruce Nauman’s Work),” October 74 (Fall 1995), 135.
Marc Daniel Mayer, Being & Time: The Emergence of Video Projection: Willie Doherty, Gary Hill, Bruce Nauman, Tony Oursler, Diana Thater, Bill Viola, exh. cat. (Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, 1996), 14 (color ill., detail), 15, 30, 50–51, 52-55 (color ill.), 92.
Gijs van Tuyl, Ruth Koenig, trans., “Human Conditions/Human Body: Bruce Nauman and Samuel Beckett” in Bruce Nauman. Image/Text 1966-1996, exh. cat. (Wolfsburg: Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg; Ostfildern-Ruit: Cantz, 1997), 62, 63 (ill.).
Jean-Charles Massera and Vincent La Baume, Bruce Nauman Image / Texte 1966, exh. cat. (Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou, 1997), 26-27, 31, 51, 58, 62, 63 (color ill.), 114 (ill,), 115 (ill.).
Joan Simon, “Breaking the Silence: An Interview with Bruce Nauman,” Art in America 76.9 (September 1998), 140–49, 203.
Coosje van Bruggen, Bruce Nauman (New York: Rizzoli, 1998), 24, 102 (ill.).
Christine van Assche and Charles Penwarden, trans., Bruce Nauman, exh. cat. (London: Hayward Gallery & The South Bank Centre, 1998), 63, 114–115, 130 (color ill.).
Kathryn Chiong, “Nauman’s Beckett Walk” in October 86 (Autumn 1998): 67.
Jeremy Strick, ed., “Modern and Contemporary Art: The Lannan Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago,” Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 25, no. 1 (1999), cover (color ill.), 6, 62, 63 (color ill.), 93, cat. 46 (ill.), 101.
Coosje van Bruggen, “An Interview with Bruce Nauman,” Energies, exh. cat. (Stedelijk Museum, 1999), 58–65 (ill.).
Jenny Southlynn, “The Great Colorful Other,” The Octopus (June 9–15, 2000), 16.
Dan Craft, “2000 Clowns,” The Pantagraph (June 22, 2000), 12–13.
Janet Kraynak, ed., Please Pay Attention Please: Bruce Nauman’s Words; Writings and Interviews, (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press: 2002), 335–38, 374.
Susan Cross and Christine Hoffmann, Bruce Nauman: Theaters of Experience, exh. cat. (New York: Guggenheim Museum Publications, 2003), 17 (color ill.), n.p.
Johanna Drucker, “Procedures Performed and Executed,” in Bruce Nauman: Make Me Think, ed. Laurence Sillars (Tate Liverpool, 2006), 40 (ill.).
Patrick T. Murphy, I, Not I: Samuel Beckett, Philip Guston, Bruce Nauman, exh. cat. (Dublin: Royal Hibernian Academy, 2006), 25 (color ill.).
Terry Eagleton and Séamus Kealy, 18: Beckett, exh. cat. (Mississauga, Ontario: The Blackwood Gallery, 2006), 25-26 (color ill.), 27.
Joseph D. Ketner, Janet Kraynak, and Gregory Volk, Elusive Signs: Bruce Nauman Works with Light, exh. cat. (Milwaukee: Milwaukee Art Museum, 2006), 63 (color ill.), 64, 82, 83.
James Rondeau and Lisa Dorin, “Film, Video, New Media at the Art Institute of Chicago: with the Donna and Howard Stone Gift,” The Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies 35, 1 (2009), 18-21.
Douglas Druick, et al., The Essential Guide, third edition (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2009), 141 (color ill.).
Eugen Blume, Bruce Nauman: ein Lesebuch (Köln: DuMont, 2010), 393.
Douglas Druick, et al., The Essential Guide, fourth edition (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2013), 157 (color ill.).
Nina Metz, “From Museum to YouTube” Chicago Tribune (Dec. 26, 2014), 2 (ill.).
Kathy Halbreich, Bruce Nauman: Disappearing Acts, exh. cat. (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2018), 24, 26, 78, 166, 183 (color ill.), 185-187, 204-205 (color ill.), 208, 222, 225, 276 (color ill.), 277, 338.
Maja Oeri, Bruce Nauman: Disappearing Acts, exh. guide (Basel: Schaulager, Laurenz Foundation, 2018), 33 (color ill.).
José Lebrero Stals, ed., Bruce Nauman: Estancias, cuerpos, palabras, exh. cat. (Málaga: Fundación Museo Picasso Málaga, 2019), 18-21 (color ill.), 191.
Andrea Lissoni and Nicholas Serota, eds.; with contributions by Henriette Huldisch, Andrea Lissoni, Nicholas Serota, Joan Simon, and Katy Wan, Bruce Nauman, exh. cat. (London: Tate Publishing, 2020), 11, 13, 19-20, 23, 101, 102-104 (color ill.), 127, 171.
Matthew S. Witkovsky et al., The Art Institute of Chicago Field Guide to Photography and Media, eds. Antawan I. Byrd, Elizabeth Siegel, and Carl Fuldner (Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 2023), 34, pl.5.
New York, Leo Castelli Gallery, Richard Artschwager, Bruce Nauman, Frank Stella, May 16–June 6, 1987, no cat.
Los Angeles, Museum of Contemporary Art, Bruce Nauman: Videos 1965-1986, concurrent with Bruce Nauman: Drawings 1965-1986, Feb. 16–Apr. 10, 1988, no cat.
Madrid, ARCO MADRID, Shown by Donald Young Gallery, February 1989, no cat.
New York, Whitney Museum of American Art, Image World: Art and Media Culture, Nov. 8, 1989–Feb. 18, 1990, no cat. no.
Basel, Switzerland, Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Bruce Nauman: Sculptures and Installations 1985–1990, Sept. 23–Dec. 10, 1990, cat. 6; Frankfurt, Städtische Galerie im Städelschen Kunstinstitut, May 30–Aug. 25, 1991; Lausanne, Switzerland, Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Oct. 5, 1991–Jan. 5, 1992, cat. 6.
Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Bruce Nauman, Nov. 30, 1993–Feb. 21, 1994, cat. 59; Minneapolis, Walker Art Center, Apr. 10–June 19, 1994, cat. 59; Los Angeles, Museum of Contemporary Art, July 17–Sept. 25, 1994; Washington D.C., Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Nov. 3, 1994–Jan. 29, 1995; New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Mar. 1–May 23, 1995; Zurich, Kunsthaus, July 14–Oct. 8, 1995.
Buffalo, NY, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Being & Time: The Emergence of Video Projection, Sept. 21–Dec. 1, 1996, no cat. no.; Bloomfield Hills, MI, Cranbrook Art Museum, Jan. 24–Mar. 29, 1997; Portland, OR, Portland Art Museum, May 24–July 27, 1997; Houston, Texas, Contemporary Arts Museum, Aug. 16–Oct. 5, 1997; Santa Fe, New Mexico, SITE Santa Fe, Nov. 1, 1997–Jan. 25, 1998,
Wolfsburg, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Bruce Nauman: Image/Text 1966–96’, May 24–Sept. 26, 1997, no cat. no; Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou, Dec. 16, 1997–Mar. 9, 1998, no cat. no; London, Hayward Gallery, as Bruce Nauman, July 16–Sept. 6, 1998, no cat. no; Helsinki, Nykytaiteen Museo, Oct. 17, 1998–Jan. 24, 1999 (London only).
Bonn, Germany, Bonner Kunstverein, Rewind to the Future, Dec. 1, 1999–Feb. 13, 2000; Berlin, Neue Berliner Kunstverein, Jan. 14–Feb. 20, 2000, no cat. no.
Normal, Illinois State University Galleries, 2000 Clowns, June 10-–Sept. 10, 2000, no cat.
Germany, Deutsche Guggenheim, Bruce Nauman: Theaters of Experience, Oct. 31, 2003–Jan. 18, 2004, no cat. no.
Rio de Janeiro, Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil, Closed Circuit: Bruce Nauman’s Films and Vídeos, 1967–2002, July 11–Sept. 18, 2005, no cat.
Dublin, Ireland, Royal Hibernian Academy, I, Not I: Samuel Beckett, Philip Guston, Bruce Nauman, March 24–May 1, 2006, no cat. no.
Mississauga, Ontario, The Blackwood Gallery at the University of Toronto, 18: Beckett, Nov. 9–Dec. 21, 2006, cat. 5; Banff, Alberta, Walter Phillips Gallery at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Mar. 31–May 27, 2007.
Milwaukee Art Museum, Elusive Signs: Bruce Nauman Works with Light, Jan. 28-Apr. 9, 2006, cat. 57; Indianapolis Museum of Art, May 14–Aug. 6, 2006; North Miami, FL, Museum of Contemporary Art, Oct. 14, 2006–Jan. 7, 2007; Seattle, Henry Art Gallery at University of Washington, Feb. 10–May 6, 2007; Montréal, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, May 26–Sept. 3, 2007 (May 25 preview date); Southbank, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Oct. 9–Dec. 7, 2007 (Canceled); South Brisbane, Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, Jan.–Apr. 2008 (Canceled); Pittsburgh, The Warhol Museum, Sept. 22–Dec. 29, 2007 (Substitute for Australian venues); San Diego, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, May 25–Aug. 31, 2008 (Montréal only).
Berlin, Nationalgalerie im Hamburger Bahnhof, Museum für Gegenwart, Bruce Nauman, May 28, 2010–Oct. 10, 2010, no cat. no.
Lausanne, Switzerland, Musee cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Incongruous, Oct. 8, 2011–Jan. 15, 2012, no cat.
Basel, Schaulager, Bruce Nauman: Disappearing Acts, Mar. 17, 2018–Aug. 26, 2018, no cat. no; New York City, The Museum of Modern Art, Oct. 21, 2018–Feb. 18, 2019; Long Island, MoMA PS1, Oct. 21, 2018–Feb. 25, 2019. (Basel and Long Island only)
Málaga, Museo Picasso Malaga, Bruce Nauman: Rooms, Bodies, Words, June 18-Sept.1, 2019, no cat. no.
London, Tate Modern, Bruce Nauman, Oct. 7, 2020–Feb. 21, 2021 (closed Nov. 4, 2020 due to COVID-19 global pandemic), no. cat. no. Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Mar. 27, 2021–Aug. 15, 2021 (delayed to June 5–Oct. 24, 2021 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic), Beijing, M WOODS Hutong, as Bruce Nauman: OK OK OK, Mar. 11–July 11, 2022; Milan, Pirelli Hangar Bicocca, as Bruce Nauman: Neons, Corridors, Rooms, Oct. 7, 2021–Feb. 20, 2022 (delayed to Sept. 15, 2022–Feb. 26, 2023 due to COVID-19 global pandemic), (London, Amsterdam, Beijing only).
The artist, sold through David Young Gallery, Chicago to private collection, Madrid, 1989; sold through Donald Young Gallery, Chicago to Lannan Foundation, Los Angeles, partially given and partially sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 24, 1997.
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