Five Marching Men 1985

Curator: Looking at "Five Marching Men," a neon artwork created by Bruce Nauman in 1985, what catches your eye first? Editor: The colors! It's almost gaudy, in a fascinating way. Like a sleazy Vegas show reimagined by a minimalist. The human forms glowing so brightly against that black background—it's hypnotic, in an unsettling way. Curator: Indeed. The utilization of neon, primarily associated with commercial signage, pushes boundaries by being a form of high art, as an industrially manufactured material used for a visceral exploration of the body. Editor: Visceral is the perfect word. It reminds me of those anatomical drawings, flayed figures, but updated with electricity. You know, all the glowing tubes kind of obscure the marching men; all the crossing lines kind of trap them. I feel imprisoned by their repetitive act. It feels mechanical rather than spirited. Curator: You've hit upon a critical point about the piece. Nauman consistently used the body as a site for exploring confinement, anxiety, and the limitations of human agency, here specifically considering the means by which the body conforms within a structured, militarized exercise. The seriality hints at mass production too. Editor: Right, and neon, as you mentioned, is this perfect, artificial, consumer-driven substance. But it gives this strangely fragile sense too; glass, gas, light. This piece somehow touches a deep nerve and makes you contemplate where do we locate power, and why do we perform its motions, like some macabre robot? Curator: It’s an apt analogy; Nauman seems to expose the tension between the artificiality of illuminated imagery and the raw physicality it represents. Considering, that during the mid-80s, Western consumerism increased in scale and scope, with a rapid transition towards increased automization. It feels like these figures' steps will simply wear out these worker figures and burn the energy away without much productive labor. Editor: What do you think is fascinating about its formal simplicity though, Curator? This idea of five stick figures is not particularly inventive, it has a very raw and rudimentary feel, something from early childhood, then juxtapose to these neon hues! It makes it a bold image. What does it allude to? Curator: The artist’s recourse to basic representation highlights Nauman’s emphasis on simple gestures, actions, or outlines. The neon material allows an artistic rendering without actually needing an expressive, or even defined, physical touch from the artist. By that logic, in that particular epoch, Nauman seems to imply that the real human physical contact will be, alas, soon lost forever. Editor: I love how these vibrant men are, after all, empty, soulless neon casings; their relentless action all the more disconcerting given their hollow core. I definitely came here feeling unsettled, now I think that I grasp the why. Thanks. Curator: Exactly, it is a disconcerting sensation, one Nauman, through materials and performance, compels the audience to confront as we contemplate this march forward into the unknown.