#felix gonzalex-torres

[telomeke]

[Image Description–

Two images, the first showing the art installation in its original form with its original description, and the second showing its current form and description.

The first image shows a pile of multi-colored, individually-wrapped candies stacked high in the corner of a room. The pile looks about as tall as a child or a small adult. The text accompanying this image reads as follows:

Felix Gonzalez-Torres American, born Cuba, Guáimaro 1957-1996 Miami "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), 1991 Candies individually wrapped in multicolored cellophane, endless supply The Art Institute of Chicago, Promised gift of Donna and Howard Stone (f. 1999) Decay and erosion play an integral role in Gonzalez-Torres's unconventional portrait of his partner, Ross Laycock, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991. The work consists of a pile of candy whose combined weight, 175 pounds, corresponds to Laycock's ideal weight. The otherwise static, enigmatic mound is animated by visitors, who are invited to sample the sweets. As the candy disappears, the pile loses its integrity as well as its regularity, shrinking in mass and weight. Its transformation over time reenacts the debilitating effects of Laycock's illness. Before it vanishes altogether, however, the museum replenishes the supply of candy. Suspended between disappearance and renewal, the work exists in a liminal state of perpetual process. Please take one.

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The second image shows the candies in a low pile at the base of a gallery wall. Instead of a tall, triangular heap, the pile stretches low and long. As the candies are piled only about as high as an adult's ankles, and are less vibrantly-colored than the original, the current installation looks far less arresting than its former incarnation.

The text accompanying the second image reads as follows:

Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957-1996) "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.), 1991 Candies in variously colored wrappers, endless supply Overall dimensions vary with installation. ideal weight: 175 lb. The Art Institute of Chicago; gift of Donna and Howard Stone Attention: This candy was packed in facilities that handle dairy and nut by-products. Eating candy may present a choking hazard.

End Image Description.]

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the david zwirner gallery and the felix gonzalez torres foundation in the smithsonian removed the descriptive plaque for portrait of ross in la by felix gonzalez-torres. the old plaque explained portrait for ross' origins as the artist's partner's aids related death, and replaced it with a plaque with absolutely no information about the piece itself, who ross was, or who gonzalez-torres was either. portrait of ross was also reeranged to lay on the floor long ways instead of in a pile as it typically is situated, and the plaque outside the exhibition FOR GONZALEZ-TORRES omits his sexuality, as well as his aids related death. i'm in utter disbelief

[artreflectiveblog]

An Introduction to Contemporary Art

This blog is dedicated to my experience surrounding Contemporary Art as a first year undergraduate student at Liverpool John Moores University. Throughout this assignment I will use this blog as a platform to record my expanding knowledge of Contemporary Art through the module lectures, in conjunction with my own experiences and research.

My name is Eve, my pronouns are she/her. I am nineteen years old, living in Liverpool. 

What does Contemporary Art mean to me?

When first considering what does Contemporary Art mean to me, I found no singular answer. To put a definitive label on Contemporary Art would contradict the nature of it, as it does not fit into any particular artistic category - there is no conformity to concept, the materials it uses or the way in which it is displayed. It seems to me that it is a shape shifting term.

However, there does seem to be one link that runs throughout all Contemporary art and artists. What seems to be persistent is the focus on the ‘concept’ relating to the time in which it was made - the relevance and the idea of a piece often being paramount to the aesthetic. 

My Experience with Contemporary Art

My first glimpse into the Contemporary Art world was not a positive experience. Like a large group of the general public, I did not always have interest or perhaps the respect that I do now for the seemingly elite group of art, artists and galleries that are branded as ‘Contemporary’. Growing up in a non-artistic, non-academic background, there was a general consensus that there was ‘good’ and ‘bad’ art. The ‘good’ art was that which showed great technical skill and ability, something that only those most gifted could produce; the ‘bad’ was ugly, hard to understand and pretentious with no rationale for being so -Contemporary. When I initially became interested in art, I began to visit Contemporary ‘white cube’ galleries and I felt fraudulent standing there, silent, contemplating a work, which truthfully, I could not cultivate a deep or meaningful relationship with. Contemporary artwork felt very inaccessible to me, I felt left out of the secret, as much as I wished to be initiated in the club. 

However, over time I broadened my horizons. I was struck so forcefully by my discovery of leading Contemporary artist of the 20th Century- Jean Michelle Basquiat. For me, this was the beginning of my own exploration of the Contemporary Art world. Basqiuat’s raw and intense excitement shown in his paintings, drawing and graffiti spoke so clearly of the social injustice he experienced. The narrative of those marginalised shown within each scribble, clashing colour and line, attacking the structures of power and and speaking of his experiences within the black community in New York in the 1980’s. The relevancy is still felt so much today, transcending the time in which it was made.  

Bird on the Money (1981) Jean-Michel Basquiat 

Acidquiat (1980) Jean-Michel Basquiat While Basquiat was the first Contemporary artist that sparked my interest, my most recent curiosity is with Felix Gonzalez-Torres. More specifically, the work Untitled (Perfect Lovers) which consists of two battery operated clocks, set at the same time and are placed touching on the wall. At the time of conception of the piece, both Gonzalez and his boyfriend Ross Laylock were dying of AIDS. Gonzalez said that creating the work terrified him, he used it as a way to face up to the fleeting time he had left both with his love, Ross, and of his own life. The idea being that the clocks would eventually go out of sync (as lovers do) and eventually one would stop completely. This work, without any painting or particular skill exists only as a concept, still so poignantly expresses the meaning which all humans can relate their lives to - a  great reflection of the transience of life. Another work that fascinates me by Gonzalez is (Untitled) Portrait of Ross in L.A. which was recreated a series of times. This installation is a pile of colourful wrapped sweets, which the public are encouraged to take away with them. Dimensions vary with installation however it ideally weighs 175lb, which was Ross Laylocks weight when healthy. The concept being the depiction the effect AIDS had, causing the decline of Ross’ health over time, reflected in the diminishing sweets - it is as if the viewers are taking a piece of Ross Laylock away with them. 

(Untitled) Perfect Lovers  (1991) Felix Gonzalez-Torres

(Untitled) A Portrait of Ross In L.A. (1991)  Felix Gonzalez-Torres

A love letter from Felix Gonzalex-Torres to Ross Laylock (1988)

[woundgallery]

Felix Gonzalex-Torres, Untitled, 1995, 

[nicholaswoodinternetsensation]

Lovers, 1988

Don’t be afraid of the clocks, they are our time, time has been so generous to us. We imprinted time with the sweet taste of victory. We conquered fate by meeting at a certain TIME in a certain space. We are a product of the time, therefore we give back credit were it is due: time.

We are synchronized, now and forever.

I love you.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres