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FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES (1957-1996) UNTITLED offset on paper (endless copies) 15 1/2 (at ideal heig...

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FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES (1957-1996) UNTITLED offset on paper (endless copies) 15 1/2 (at ideal heig...
FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES
(1957-1996)
UNTITLED
offset on paper (endless copies)
15 1/2 (at ideal height) x 29 x 22 1/2 in.
(39.4 x 73.7 x 28.6 cm) overall
sheet: 29 x 22 1/2 in.
(73.7 x 28.6 cm)
executed in 1990
this work is unique
and accompanied by a certificate of
authenticity signed by the artist <p>PROVENANCE
Andrea Rosen Gallery, NEW YORK <p>EXHIBITED
NEW YORK, Andrea Rosen Gallery, FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES, 1990
Dijon, Le Consortium, FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES, November 25, 2001-February 2, 2002 <p>LITERATURE
PORTFOLIO, FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES, SHINY, No. 5, 1990, p. 14 (illustrated)
K. Levin, "Felix Gonzalez-Torres," THE VILLAGE VOICE, February 27, 1990, p. 46 (illustrated)
AHA HISPANIC ART NEWS, December 1990/January 1991, p. 7 (illustrated)
N. Spector, FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES, NEW YORK, 1995, p. 94 (illustrated)
D. Elger, FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES: CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ,
OSTFILDERN-RUIT, 1997, p. 50, pl. 79 (illustrated)
Felix Gonzalez-Torres' work occupies the space of the in-between, where questions are never fully answered, but rather deconstructed and examined. The meaning of the work is never fixed; on the contrary, it is renewable and ever changing. Works whisper elements of autobiography and activism, addressing issues such as sexual difference and class identity as the artist's private memories enter public spaces. Thus, his work continually shifts according to a constant exchange between the artist, the viewer, and the space of interaction.
Gonzalez-Torres' paper stacks represent a significant group of the artist's body of work. Normally placed on the floor of the exhibiting space, they consist of a mound of paper (which can be endlessly supplied), piled at an "ideal" height. Gonzalez-Torres encourages the viewer to become an active participant in the formation of the work by taking home a sheet of paper from the pile. It is explained that "A part of the intention of the work is that third parties may take individual sheets of paper from the stack. These individual sheets and all individual sheets taken from a stack collectively do not constitute a unique work of art nor can they be considered the piece. The owner has the right to reprint and replace, at any time, the quantity of sheets necessary to regenerate the piece back to the ideal height" (D. Elger, FELIX GONZALEZ-TORRES: CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ, 1997, p. 14). By this means, Gonzalez-Torres raises questions regarding the sacred status of a work of art, its meaning and originality. Gonzales-Torres valued this magical dialogue between the piece and the viewer above all else: "I need the viewer, I need the public interaction. Without the public these works are nothing, nothing. I need the public to complete the work" (Felix Gonzalez-Torres interviewed by Tim Rollins, A.R.T Press, 1993, New York, p.23).
The minimal gesture of the paper stack often carries highly charged notions about love, relationship, sexuality, and homoeroticism. UNTITLED, 1990, consists of sheets of paper, each colored by two distinct and equal parts, one solid black and the other solid white. Similar to UNTITLED (PERFECT LOVERS), 1991, which consists of two clocks that nudge one another and tick side by side in unison, or UNTITLED, 1995, which is made of two silver-plated brass rings that touch each other, this work evokes the essence of a couple. Identical in form, the two inseparable parts could function as a same-sex pair, touching upon issues of homosexual relationships. In Gonzalez-Torres' art, as the present work demonstrates, partnership is always a central theme - in its compositional coupling, in its allusions to lovers, and even in its implied contact between artist and viewer. These works are highly interactive and necessitate a multifaceted engagement -intellectual, emotional, and physical.
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