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Art vs. Obscenity: Gonzalez-Torres's Bold Stand
23 Mar
Summary
- Senator Ted Stevens threatened to close the Hirshhorn show for obscenity.
- Gonzalez-Torres's 'Perfect Lovers' clocks mourned his partner, Ross Laycock.
- The artist aimed to be 'a virus that belongs to the institution'.
In 1991, Felix Gonzalez-Torres's exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., became a focal point during the culture wars. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska threatened to close the show, citing obscenity. Gonzalez-Torres, who passed away in 1996 from an AIDS-related illness, viewed Stevens as a homophobic senator. The artist's iconic work, 'Untitled' (Perfect Lovers) from 1991, a pair of synchronized clocks, served as a memorial to his partner, Ross Laycock, who died of AIDS that same year.
Gonzalez-Torres masterfully combined profound themes of desire, companionship, and mortality with the minimalist and conceptual art languages. He described his strategy as wanting 'to be like a virus that belongs to the institution,' challenging mainstream art's boundaries. His art, though homoerotic, transcended simple sexual politics. Another piece, 'Untitled' (Go-Go Dancing Platform), exhibited at Hauser & Wirth, features a vibrant, lighted pedestal designed for dancers, showcasing a more flamboyant aspect of his oeuvre.
