Untitled (Perfect Lovers)

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Untitled (Perfect Lovers)
Untitled Perfect Lovers.jpg
ArtistFélix González-Torres
Year1987-1990, 1991
Dimensions35.6 x 71.2 x 7 cm
LocationDallas Museum of Art

Untitled (Perfect Lovers) is a work of art produced by Félix González-Torres between 1987-1990 and 1991.[1][2] It consists of two identical synchronized clocks, that will eventually fall out of sync. An ambiguous work of art, many have interpreted it to be a commentary on Torres' partner's struggle with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and death at large.

One of Torres' most famous works, it has appeared in over 70 exhibitions and has inspired multiple homages. When displayed at exhibitions and similar establishments it must adhere to specific guidelines illustrated by Torres such as the clocks having to be the same dimensions.

Background and conception[]

In 1987, Torres' partner Ross Laycock was diagnosed with AIDS.[3][a] Influenced by the idea that "art should act right now," Torres created three editions of the piece and one artist's proof from 1987–1990.[4][5] In a letter sent to Laycock in 1988, he showed a rough sketch of the piece, entitled merely Lovers.[6] In the letter Torres ruminates about time, writing:

Don't be afraid of the clocks, they are our time, the 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 the time, therefore we give back credit were it is due: time. We are synchronized, now forever. I love you.[6]

Following Laycock's death in 1991, a revised version was created which he allowed to be widely reproduced.[7] The piece can be interpreted to serve as a protest against the censorship of "gay art," knowing that it would be difficult for critics to show that "money is being expended for the promotion of homosexual art," with a work of art so simplistic and abstract in nature.[6] According to Shawn Diamond, the piece was created to "memorialize the love he shared," with Laycock.[4] Torres described creating the piece as "the scariest thing I have ever done".[6]

Description and showcase[]

Untitled (Perfect Lovers) consists of two identical commercial wall clocks, signed and dated, displayed side by side.[8][9] It measures to 35.6 x 71.2 x 7 cm.[6] For showcasing the piece Torres created detailed instructions. The clocks must be of exactly the same dimensions and design and they must touch. The hands must be set to the same time and be able to be perpetually reset, causing the piece to theoretically last forever.[10] The clocks may fall out of synch however if one of the clocks stop, it must be fixed or replaced and both clocks reset.[10][2] The piece is to be displayed against a wall painted in light blue.[2]

Matthew Isherwood said that "like all of Torres’s work, “Untitled” (Perfect Lovers) uses materials that could be considered everyday or mundane to extend and explore queer personal desire".[11] One of Torres' artworks from 1991, Untitled (Double Portrait), closely resembles Untitled (Perfect Lovers); featuring two identical circles.[12]

Analysis[]

With Untitled (Perfect Lovers) Torres wanted the audience to infer their own meaning.[2] Margarita Vega, noted that "What differentiates Untitled (Perfect Lovers) from regular clocks is nothing physical, but rather the assignment of function that will be reflected on some kind of status indicators".[13] Art critic Robert Storr expanded on this, writing:

The meaning of the image hinges on the projected fantasy of the person who stands below and looks up at an enlargement of the most eroticized zone of their everyday lives, the psychological site of their greatest longing, insecurity and discomfort, the nearly neutral screen on which memories or expectations of happiness, frustration, or deprivation can be played in the mind's eye.[14]

The piece has been described as a vanitas and memento mori. Pictured: Philippe de Champagne's Still-Life with a Skull, an example of a vanitas painting.

Most interpret the piece to be a mediation on Laycock's AIDS diagnosis, declining health, eventual death and their relationship at large.[2][10][15][16] Public Delivery stated that the two clocks represent "two mechanical heartbeats," commenting on "personal loss as well as the temporal nature of life."[2] Museum curator Jasper Sharp believed the piece to be a memento mori which represents the short-lived nature of life.[17] Catherine Ruello shared similar sentiments, saying that it "involves the themes of 'vanitas'."[18] James E. Rondeau noted that it was start of Torres' "examination of coupling and mortality".[19]

According to Adair Rounthwaite, Torres' use of a clock, an item which only matters to the living, is a "visual metaphor for the crossover between that time and the nontime of the dead."[20] Rounthwaite also stated that the time measured represents life itself and that the piece was a response to the trauma of AIDS.[20] Margaret Anne Wojton, said that "The two clicking clocks represented Gonzalez-Torres's vantage point of his anguish as caregiver and survivor."[5] She also viewed the piece as an "existential metaphor," for Torres' death anxiety.[14]

Rondeau felt that the stipulation that they're identical was a reference to same-sex couples.[19] Suzanne Perling Hudson said that although "the piece is clearly “about” Torres and his partner, it is also about any lovers, be they homosexual or heterosexual, and the reality of impermanence and the threat and fear of imminent loss.[21]

Shawn Diamond believed that the piece "depicted two figures always in proximity but unable to unite and become a single body."[4] Kevin Busit echoed similar sentiments, "They'll never be one...The fabric of their being ensures that eventually they’ll end up in conflict."[22] Isherwood felt that because the clocks could be reset, there was a sense of hope and optimism in the work. He also noted that "by connoting his queer identity, rather than “evoking it”, Torres allows “Untitled” (Perfect Lovers) to become both intimately personal and widely social".[11] Helen Molesworth, chief curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, viewed it as a metaphor for the relationship between art historian and art it's self.[23]

Exhibitions[]

The Renaissance Society in Chicago where a specially made version was displayed in 1994.

Untitled (Perfect Lovers) first exhibition was at Jay Gorney Modern Art, New York, from October 20 to November 20, 1990.[24] It was later included in Torres’ 1994 exhibition, “Traveling,” at The Renaissance Society in Chicago. This version was made specifically for the exhibition and was neither dated or signed.[8] As of November 30, 2019 the piece has appeared in 75 exhibitions.[24]

Legacy[]

According to Public Delivery, Untitled (Perfect Lovers) is one of Torres' most famous works.[2] In 2002, Tobias Wong produced Perfect Lovers (Forever). Identical in all but one aspect, that being Wong's clocks are synchronized with the U.S. Atomic Clock, ensuring they both stay accurate to within one second over a period of a million years.[22]

In 2008, Welsh artist Cerith Wyn Evans created a remake entitled Untitled (Perfect Lovers + 1). The only difference between +1 and the original is the addition of one clock.[15] In 2016, Frieze choose the piece as a "key artwork" from 1991–2016.[16]

References[]

  1. ^ "Untitled (Perfect Lovers) - DMA Collection Online". Dallas Museum of Art. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "The meaning of Felix Gonzalez-Torres' Clocks / Perfect Lovers". Public Delivery. 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  3. ^ Edwards 2020, p. 166.
  4. ^ a b c d Diamond, Shawn (2016). "Requiem for the shadows: Poetry, spirituality, and future memory in the light strings of Felix Gonzalez-Torres". Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Wojton 2010, p. 40.
  6. ^ a b c d e "The meaning of Felix Gonzalez-Torres' Clocks / Perfect Lovers". Public Delivery. 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  7. ^ Edwards 2020, p. 167.
  8. ^ a b "Guide to Re-Creating "Untitled" (Perfect Lovers) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres" (PDF). Temporary Services. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  9. ^ Martinez, Jamie (2017-06-20). "Art Exhibits, Art Magazine, Contemporary Art, Art Blogs, Art Artists". Arte Fuse. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  10. ^ a b c "Gonzalez-Torres Artworks & Famous Paintings". The Art Story. Archived from the original on 2020-07-13. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  11. ^ a b Isherwood, Matthew (2020-07-02). "Toward a Queer Aesthetic Sensibility: Orientation, Disposition, and Desire". Studies in Art Education. 61 (3): 230–239. doi:10.1080/00393541.2020.1778437. ISSN 0039-3541. S2CID 221790098.
  12. ^ Ho, Christopher (2001). "Within and beyond: Felix Gonzalez-Torres's "Crowd"". PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art. 23 (1): 1–17. doi:10.2307/3246486. ISSN 1520-281X. JSTOR 3246486. S2CID 192115358.
  13. ^ Vega, Margarita (2016-06-01). "Once Again, What Counts as Art?". Philosophia. 44 (2): 633–644. doi:10.1007/s11406-016-9696-9. ISSN 1574-9274. S2CID 170327161.
  14. ^ a b Wojton 2010, p. 39.
  15. ^ a b "Untitled (Perfect Lovers + 1) – Kadist". Kadist. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  16. ^ a b "25 Artworks: 1991–95". Frieze. No. 181. August 16, 2016. ISSN 0962-0672. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  17. ^ Museum Wien, Kunsthistorisches (March 6, 2018). "Jasper Sharp on Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Lombardo". YouTube. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  18. ^ "Visual AIDS | Visual AIDS utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking…". Visual AIDS. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  19. ^ a b Rondeau, James E. (1999). "Untitled (Last Light), 1993 by Felix Gonzalez-Torres". Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies. 25 (1): 84–100. doi:10.2307/4113009. ISSN 0069-3235. JSTOR 4113009.
  20. ^ a b Rounthwaite, Adair (2010). "Split Witness: Metaphorical Extensions of Life in the Art of Felix Gonzalez-Torres". Representations. 109 (1): 35–56. doi:10.1525/rep.2010.109.1.35. ISSN 0734-6018. JSTOR 10.1525/rep.2010.109.1.35.
  21. ^ Hudson, Suzanne Perling (2003-04-01). "Beauty and the Status of Contemporary Criticism". October. 104: 115–130. doi:10.1162/016228703322031730. ISSN 0162-2870. S2CID 57567634.
  22. ^ a b Buist, Kevin (February 1, 2011). "Art, Design, and Clocks". Art21 Magazine. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  23. ^ Pollack, Barbara (February 13, 2013). "Love Potions: Art and the Heart" (PDF). ARTnews.
  24. ^ a b ""Untitled" (Perfect Lovers) - Works - Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation". The Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation. Retrieved 2020-07-18.

Notes[]

  1. ^ Laycock was likely feeling the effects of HIV before his diagnosis.[4]
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