Good Boy, Bad Boy 1985

Bruce Nauman’s neon sign is a carnival of confessions, anxieties, and everyday phrases glowing in the dark. I can imagine him in his studio, wrestling with language, trying to pin down the slippery nature of identity and desire. The neon buzzes with a kind of raw energy, like the artist is just letting it all hang out. Phrases like “I’m bored,” “I hate,” and “This is fun” compete for attention. Each word is outlined by electric colors. I can imagine Nauman choosing the colors as a way to get a rise out of the viewer. It is the way he might decide to arrange a composition. Nauman uses the material of neon to make the work shout, whisper, and seduce. It’s like he’s saying, “Here I am, take it or leave it.” And in that act of exposure, we find a mirror reflecting our own messy, contradictory selves. It makes you think about what’s going on in his head, what’s going on in your head, and what’s going on in everybody’s head.