Robert Gober (born September 12, 1954) is an American sculptor. His work is often related to domestic and familiar objects such as sinks, doors, and legs.[1]

Early life and education

Untitled (Leg) (1989-1990)
Short Haired Cheese (1992-1993) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2022

Gober was born in Wallingford, Connecticut.[1] Gober settled in New York in 1976 and initially earned his living as a carpenter, crafting stretchers for artists and renovating lofts.[2] He also worked as an assistant to the painter Elizabeth Murray[2] for five years.[3]

Work

In 1982-83, Gober created Slides of a Changing Painting, consisting of 89 images of paintings made on a small piece of plywood in his storefront studio in the East Village; he made a slide of each motif, then scraped off the paint and began again.[4] One of his most well known series of more than 50 increasingly eccentric sinks – made of plaster, wood, wire lath, and coated in layers of semi-gloss enamel[5] – he produced in the mid-1980s.[4][6]

By 1989, Gober was casting beeswax into sculptures of men's legs, completed not only with shoes and trouser legs but also human hair that was inserted into the beeswax.[6]

In the Whitney Biennial 2012, Gober curated a room of Forrest Bess's paintings and archival materials dealing with the artist's exploration into hermaphrodism.[7]

Art plays a role during the AIDS epidemic

During the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, Robert Gober, along with other artists, used art to support the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP).[8] ACT UP was a large group of people that were infuriated by the lack of action from the government and scientists to stop the spread of AIDS and find a cure.[9] A few artists, including Gober, organized an art auction to help raise funds to donate to ACT UP. Gober's Untitled (Leg) (1989-1990) alone was sold at a very high price, which helped prove to the public that art can be used to make the voices of the people be heard, to fight for a cause that is important to the communities, and that art is not just a commodity, nor is art just for pleasure.[8][9]

Exhibitions

In 1984, the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York hosted Gober's first solo exhibition.[2] The Art Institute of Chicago presented the artist's first museum exhibition in 1988.[10] Gober has since had exhibitions of his work in Europe and North America. He represented the United States at the 2001 Venice Biennale[11]

In 2007 there was a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Schaulager in Basel.[12]

Gober participated in the group show Lifelike that originated at the Walker Art Center in 2012.[13]

From October 2014 to January 2015, The Museum of Modern Art, New York presented "Robert Gober: The Heart Is Not a Metaphor", a 40-year retrospective of his work including approximately 130 sculptures, paintings, drawings, prints and photographs. This exhibition was the first large-scale display in the United States.[14] It was also accompanied by a catalogue of the same name including essays by Hilton Als, Ann Temkin and Christian Scheidemann, plus a chronology by Claudia Carson and Paulina Pobocha with Robert Gober.[15]

In autumn 2016, two new sculptures by Gober were included in the Artangel exhibition at Reading Prison in England.[16]

Recognition

In 2013, the Hammer Museum honored Gober along with playwright Tony Kushner at its 11th Annual Gala in the Garden, with Gober being introduced by fellow artist Charles Ray.[17]

Aesthetics

Traditionally the poetics associated with Robert Gober’s artworks are focused on two fields: The surreal and the spiritual: "The almost devotional artisanship imbues common objects with an uncommon gravity, along with the sense of energy, growth and vulnerability that defines real bodies." Roberta Smith.[18] “He plays with the tension between the neutered forms and the strong emotional and physical connotations we attach to them.”[19] His artworks represent "The daily human war on dirt " Peter Schjeldahl.,[20] it works both literally and symbolically. "To be cleansed is to become pure, physically and also spiritually."[21] In some cases the lavatories represent both the cyclical approach to be cleaner but the impossibility to be fully pure: "The sink still has no water, and the past will never wash off."[22]

Personal life

Gober lives with his partner Donald Moffett.[23] They reside in New York City and Maine.

Gober served on the board of directors of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA).[24]

Notable works in public collections

References

  1. ^ a b Robert Gober Museum of Modern Art, New York.
  2. ^ a b c Robert Gober Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
  3. ^ Robert Gober National Gallery of Art, Washington.
  4. ^ a b Roberta Smith (October 2, 2014), Reality Skewed and Skewered (Gushing, Too) – ‘Robert Gober: The Heart Is Not a Metaphor,’ at MoMA New York Times.
  5. ^ Jerry Saltz (October 1, 2014), Art Review: The Great, Inscrutable Robert Gober New York Magazine.
  6. ^ a b Jason Farago (October 3, 2014), Robert Gober opens at MoMA: sober, haunting and genuinely affecting The Guardian.
  7. ^ David Colman (March 16, 2012), Art Between the Cracks New York Times.
  8. ^ a b Katz, Jonathan D. (2015). Art AIDS America. Hushka, Rock, 1966-, Arning, Bill,, Castiglia, Christopher,, Reed, Christopher, 1961-, Helfand, Glen,, Hernandez, Robb. Seattle. pp. 46–53. ISBN 9780295994949. OCLC 917362964.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ a b Crimp, Douglas (1987). "[Introduction]". October. 43: 3–16. doi:10.2307/3397562. JSTOR 3397562.
  10. ^ Phyllis Braff (October 7, 2001), A North Fork Artist at the Venice Biennale New York Times.
  11. ^ "La Biennale di Venezia - National Pavilion of USA". OneArtWorld. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  12. ^ "2007".
  13. ^ Sheets, Hilarie M. (April 19, 2012). "Use Your Illusion". ARTnews. Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  14. ^ "Robert Gober: The Heart is Not a Metaphor | MoMA".
  15. ^ "Robert Gober The Heart Is Not a Metaphor | MoMA Store". Archived from the original on 2014-10-07.
  16. ^ "Inside". www.artangel.org.uk. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
  17. ^ David Ng (July 11, 2013), Hammer Museum to fete Robert Gober, Tony Kushner at gala Los Angeles Times.
  18. ^ Roberta Smith (AUG. 23, 2007), Against Delusion: Robert Gober’s Nuts-and-Bolts Americana The New York Times.
  19. ^ Craig Gholson (Oct 1, 1989), Robert Gober by Craig Gholson Bomb Magazine.
  20. ^ Peter Schjeldahl (Oct 13, 2014), Found Meanings. A Robert Gober retrospective The New Yorker.
  21. ^ David Carrier (Nov 5, 2014), Robert Gober The Heart is Not a Metaphor The Brooklyn Rail.
  22. ^ Jason Farago (Oct 3, 2014), Robert Gober opens at MoMA: sober, haunting and genuinely affecting The Guardian.
  23. ^ Jori Finkel (October 7, 2009), Opposites Attract, and an Exhibition Opens New York Times.
  24. ^ Foundation for Contemporary Arts Announces 2013 Grants to Artists Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA), press release of January 15, 2012.
  25. ^ "Double Sink". ArtIC. Art Institute of Chicago. 1984. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  26. ^ "Robert Gober". Rubell Museum. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  27. ^ "The Slanted Sink". NGA. National Gallery of Art. 1985. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  28. ^ "Single Basin Sink". LACMA. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  29. ^ "The Subconscious Sink". Walker Art. Walker Art Center. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  30. ^ "Three Parts of an X". Hirshhorn. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  31. ^ a b c d "Robert Gober". Glenstone. Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  32. ^ "Untitled Door and Door Frame". Walker Art. Walker Art Center. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  33. ^ "Untitled Leg". MoMA. Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  34. ^ "Drains". Tate. Archived from the original on 26 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  35. ^ "Untitled". Hirshhorn. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  36. ^ "Untitled". SFMoMA. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  37. ^ "Untitled". MoMA. Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  38. ^ "Window Window". MoMA. Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  39. ^ "Short Haired Cheese". Met Museum. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  40. ^ "Untitled". Crystal Bridges. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  41. ^ "Untitled". Whitney. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  42. ^ "Untitled". ArtIC. Art Institute of Chicago. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  43. ^ "Untitled". Hirshhorn. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  44. ^ "Untitled". MoMA. Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  45. ^ "Untitled". Centre Pompidou. 16 September 2022. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  46. ^ "Heart in a Box". Whitney. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gober
No tags for this post.