Favorite Works with Text from Art Basel 2022

From Monica Bonvicini's "Tree of Anger" (2022)

It should come as no surprise that I like artwork that incorporates text. I am, after all, a wordsmith. But it's more than that. Text art is a medium that everyone can understand and respond to. Of course, it is still art, so there's generally more going on than meets the eye. 

Take, for instance, the works in Monica Bonvicini's Tree of Anger series. The name of the series should have clued me in that the works weren't just phrases designed to make the viewer laugh -- despite immediately calling to mind the people you would have liked to have said this to in the past.  One of the plaques read "so many roots to the tree of anger." It -- and the name of the series -- is a reference to a poem entitled "Who Said It Was Simple" by Audra Lorde. The opening stanza reads: "There are so many roots to the tree of anger/that sometimes the branches shatter/before they bear."  

Bonvicini's work is a commentary on many issues, from climate change to architecture to gender roles. She uses mediums such as chains, fences, metal and scaffolding to question "the masculinity and show of force" associated with methods of construction. Hmm.  A red version of her Tree of Anger series was included in an exhibit in a park. Coming upon these works in an outdoor setting might change my response, as would having them in your home. In a domestic setting they could seem more like a mirror reflecting those inner negative feelings back at you. But maybe that's just my take. To see the entire Tree of Anger series, click here. And for Bonvicini's website, click here. 

"Untitled" by Glenn Ligon (2022)

A work that definitively did not make me laugh was Glenn Ligon's "Untitled." I'm sure I don't have to explain why. As hard as I try to avoid the news, I can't live under a rock. 

This is not the first time Ligon has used the word "America" in his neon art to make a point. Back in 2011, the Whitney showcased Ligon's work in a retrospective entitled "America." That exhibit included multiple works using the word "America." In one, the letters were written backwards (with the "A" of course looking standard); in another the word "America" was in flashing neon (sometimes there, sometimes not); a third was a double "America" in which the word was inverted underneath using a mirror. 

Like Bonvincini, Ligon found the inspiration for this work in literature -- Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities." The first paragraph of the novel famously reads, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." Ligon commented at the time that he felt this dichotomy reflected what was happening in America. On the positive side, the United States had its first African-American President. On the negative side, our country was involved in two wars and still struggling to come out of the 2008 recession. Sadly, I don't need Ligon to explain the thinking behind his most recent work in order to understand it. To hear Ligon talk about the Whitney exhibit, click here. And to explore his website, click here.

"I Can Only Imagine" by Jeppe Hein (2022)

Jeppe Hein's speech bubble gave viewers both the permission to dream and an opportunity to be one with the art. I can get on board with that. Other speech bubbles by the artist offer positive thoughts like "All I Want is You" and "The Answer is Within You." 

Hein is an artist who's committed to viewer participation with his works. In 2015, the Danish artist created 18 works for Brooklyn Bridge Park as a project for New York City's Public Art Fund. The title of the exhibit, which included a multi-piece mirrored labyrinth, was "Please Touch the Art." What???!!!  Isn't that strictly verbotten? Not for Hein, who specifically seeks viewer interaction. In the case of public art, it's also a practical approach since people who aren't museumgoers encounter the work. How fabulous. To see Hein's "Please Touch the Art" exhibit, click here. For a great interview with Hein and fellow artist Sam Durant about the importance of exhibiting work in a public space, click here. (Durant is another artist whose body of work includes text art. Click here to read about a work of his at the 2018 edition of Art Basel.)

Hein working with students on Breathe with Me

It turns out I've featured Hein's work in a previous blog about Art Basel. As I was writing (again) about his global "Breathe with Me" project, it rang a distant bell in my head. In my defense, it WAS in 2019. In simplest terms, the project consisted of vastly different demographic groups -- from international leaders to school children -- intentionally breathing in and out as they painted a blue line on a group work of art. The goal: to make people think about both climate change and our similarities. It reminds me conceptually of the Ladd Brothers Scrollathon Project. As Hein has said, "Life begins with an inhale and ends with an exhale. In between we all breathe and live different lives. And yet, each breath keeps us together, connected, sharing the same air." For more about Breathe with Me, click here. And for Hein's website, click here. I love the message behind his work. 

And so concludes my exploration of this year's Art Basel. It was another fabulous art day. Maybe next year I'll finally stay in the area for a couple of nights and check out some of the satellite fairs. So much art, so little time.