Introduction

As you look at Bruce Nauman’s Clown Torture, what you see is the wildness and relentlessness of his work. A deeper examination of this masterpiece also reveals the work of a person who wishes to explore a few issues that affect human life.

Among these are boredom, confusion, and entrapment. On top of that, Nauman’s artwork also examines the themes of anxiety and failure. In this review of that piece, we will look at the reasons that make Clown Torture one of Nauman’s most outstanding, memorable, and controversial creations ever.

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Oxymoron

The decision by Bruce Nauman to title his work “Clown Torture” was always bound to raise questions. After all, a clown is meant to create happiness, laughter and leave smiling faces behind. As you can imagine, there’s nothing torturous about any of that.

For that reason, putting the word ‘torture’ next to ‘clown’ doesn’t seem to make much sense. Nevertheless, that’s what Nauman hoped to achieve through that work. As previously stated, he tackled numerous human emotions and experiences through this work. The title captures it well.

Features

Clown Torture has several mindboggling features. The following features define its uniqueness:

• Two rectangular pedestals
• Two pairs of color monitors stacked upon each other and supported by the pedestals
• Two massive color video projections
• Sound from the surrounding six video displays

Through these features, you already get a glimpse into the qualities that make this piece of art special. In fact, many art lovers consider it notorious and quite controversial. It has nothing to do with the traditional forms of art that most art enthusiasts are accustomed to.

Using the monitors, Nauman is able to narrate five stories, all featuring a common denominator, that is, a clown. In all of them, we see the irredeemably ugly clown screaming, jumping up and down, mumbling a creepy nursery rhyme, and laughing nervously, among other activities.

Torture Comedy

Through his Clown Torture, Bruce Nauman delves into what is known as torture comedy. However, what you will not see clearly is the identity of the person undergoing torture. The work doesn’t show us the exact kind of torture the clown faces.

If you are keen enough, though, you will realize that the tortured party is the one watching all of this unfolding – you! The loudness, the mess, and the screaming clown, among other features, all torture your senses. Here, Nauman reminds us that art doesn’t always have to be beautiful. It can be quite ugly too!