Bruce Nauman in York

Richard Claxton (@MaraidDesign) reviews the Bruce Nauman exhibition in York St Mary’s

There is a church in York unlike all the others. It’s old and picturesque but there are no longer any pews, no alter or pulpit. This historic building has not been turned into a bar or city centre flats, but into an exciting exhibition space for contemporary art. St Mary’s was originally de-consecrated in 1958 but only found its new role in 2004, and since then displayed various commissioned works from the likes of Caroline Broadhead, Susie MacMurray, Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings. As well as commissioned pieces, pre-existing works have also found a place in this historic building, for example Cornelia Parker’s ‘Thirty Pieces of Silver’ and Laura Belem’s ‘Temple of A Thousand Bells’.

I recently returned to York St Mary’s excited to see the new exhibition that had just opened, work by the American artist Bruce Nauman.  Bruce Nauman is one of the most important conceptual artists alive. He has worked in a various media since the sixties but is most famous for his video work and neon word pieces. I have been lucky enough to view Nauman’s work in exhibitions in London but to see examples of his work so close to home was an amazing opportunity.

When you enter the former church you quickly realise the interior of St Mary’s is definitely no ‘White Cube’ but this I feel is an advantage. In this unique space there is relationship between the artwork and the surroundings that you don’t experience in other contemporary galleries. I quickly noticed the neon light pieces and like a small child I was drawn towards them, but I resisted in order to get a sense of the exhibition as a whole.

There is a wide range of work on display spanning most of Nauman’s career and reflecting his varying styles and visually diverse output. Lying in the centre of the floor there is a large steel sculpture entitled Three Dead End Adjacent Tunnels, Not Connected (1981), a polished black granite work called Partial Truth (1997) rests on the wall close by. On the far side of gallery a series monitors display video pieces as well as the aforementioned neon word sculptures.

If you look to find any common theme in Nauman’s work then it’s his examination of words and language and the confusions that language can cause. There is a real sense of play involved and I often find myself smiling while walking around the gallery but there is also sense of ambiguity and a sinister tension at the same time.

As I explored the gallery I was pleasantly surprised to find my favourite piece by Nauman on show. Good Boy Bad Boy (1982) consists of two monitors on which a male and a female actor appear repeating the same lists of phrases. To me this piece seems to sum up Bruce Nauman’s work brilliantly, it’s comical but confrontational with a feeling of unease and potential violence, with the theme of language at its core.

I wondered if York Museums Trust had concerns about bringing conceptual and contemporary work to a city celebrated for it’s history. When I put this to Jenny Alexander, Assistant Curator of Fine Art for York Museums Trust, she replied ‘From audience research that we have done, we know that there is a great appetite for contemporary art in York’ and also mentioned they specifically choose Nauman’s work because of how it would it sit in the unconventional exhibition space. ‘He’s been a massive influence on countless other artists working today in America and in the UK, so it’s great to bring such an internationally famous and respected artist’s work to York’. She went on to say that the reaction they had received to this exhibition had been strong and positive.

The exhibition was brought to York with the help of the ARTIST ROOMS, a collection of work bought by National Galleries of Scotland and Tate through the generosity of Anthony d’Offay. Part of their remit is to try and bring contemporary art to new and young audiences. This is something York Museums Trust have embraced and created a program of projects and events to encourage young people to interpret and demystify the work, including ’99 Nauman’, a live art performance composed by York St John University students in response to Nauman’s art.

York St Mary’s is holding a series of talks and events. The exhibition runs until November 10th 2013.

Visit the St Mary’s website for further information.