Tate Modern:
Bruce Nauman
On 17th November 2017, I was, like a moth, instantly attracted to the bright lights of the Bruce Nauman exhibition (Tate Modern). His work demanded the viewer to (literally) take a step back and consider the purpose and context of his work. Nauman's extensive and imaginative use of media transmits a multitude of different ideas simultaneously. It is clear that his previous studies in Mathematics and Physics informed his practice and are a domineering influence on his work. One piece which caught my attention was 'Violins, Violence, Silence' (1981).
Violins, Violence, Silence
1981
Bruce Nauman
The artwork itself was made of coloured neon tubing with a clear glass suspension frame. As the letters overlap, it is hard to initially distinguish what the piece is actually conveying, proving rather disorientating. Additionally, the buzzing noise which accompanies the piece (originating from the neon tubing) is somewhat distracting. However, it is ironic that while reading 'violins' evokes a pure and unpolluted noise, in reality you are faced with a low, droning buzz. I enjoy the irony of Nauman's work and the complex ideas which lie behind the lights. There is much more to this piece than is initially apparent and I hope that other visitors to the gallery take the time to consider its complexity.
Another piece in the exhibition which caught my attention was 'Raw Material Washing Hands'(1996). The video, which documents one individual washing their hands constantly for 55 minutes is difficult viewing. It is reminiscent of a person suffering from obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in which the individual is performing a routine repeatedly, as though it were a ritual. The video becomes painful to watch as we see the individuals skin being overworked by the soap and water and I must admit that although the video runs for just under an hour, I watched it for no longer than 10 minutes.
Raw Material Washing Hands,
Bruce Nauman
1996
After seeing Nauman's work, it is clear that he questions and stretches the boundaries of what it is to make art. He has purposefully left behind traditional notions of 'fine art' and has distanced himself from paint as a medium.
SAPPHIRE
Two years before making Victim, Basil Dearden directed another ‘social issue’ film, Sapphire, about the murder of a black music student. The innovative race angle being topical at the time with the first influx of Commonwealth migrants and the Notting Hill race riots. The film provides a late 1950’s impression of racial tensions in London, in muted colour. The excellent screenplay was, once again, by Janet Green and ‘Dearden’s analysis of English prejudice is comprehensive and uncompromising’ (Murphy, 2010: 927). Whilst largely forgotten today, Sapphire was a major work of its time and went on to win the BAFTA award for Best Film in 1959.
The plot is based on a murdered student found stabbed to death on Hampstead Heath. It turns out that her name is Sapphire and although her complexion is white, she is actually black – apparently, her father was white and her mother was black. She was also three months pregnant, the father being a white student. The film then concentrates on Detective Superintendent Hazard (Nigel Patrick – second from left in the photo above) and Detective Inspector Learoyd (Michael Craig – first left in the photo above) trying to catch the killer, in a climate of mutual black and white suspicion and prejudice.
Once again there are some striking lines:
Hazard: ‘Red taffeta under a tweed skirt.’
Learoyd: ‘Yes, that’s the black under the white all right.’
Learoyd: ‘He’s a good [black] pianist.’
Hazard: ‘Yes, and he’s lucky. He’ll be accepted for what he is.’
Learoyd: ‘What’s that?’
Hazard: ‘A good pianist.’
On a black club owner (far right in the photo above) on negroes with white skin: ‘Lily skin … You can always tell once they hear the beat of the bongo … they can’t hide that swing, no matter how fair the skin.’
The film boasts a strong cast, including Bernard Miles, Paul Massie, Olga Lindo, and Earl Cameron, with Yvonne Mitchell being nominated for Best Actress at that year’s BAFTAs.
In a film dealing, essentially, with prejudice, the last line, spoken by Det. Supt. Hazard to Det. Insp. Learoyd, sums it up: ‘We didn’t solve anything Phil. We just picked up the pieces.’ However, as Murphy correctly notes: ‘the films ‘impartiality’ leads it perilously close to condoning what it sets out to condemn.’
REFERENCES
Murphy, R. (2010) Time Out Film Guide 2011. J. Pym (ed.) (Time Out Guides Ltd.).
