Bruce Conner

Bruce Conner

Conceptual Art

March 28, 2013

In his paintings, prints, photographs, films, sculptures, collages, and performances, American artist Bruce Conner examines the fears and desires of post-war American culture. From the rise of consumerism to the fear of nuclear apocalypse, the artist tackled themes that reside in people's subconsciousness. His fascination with mortality and grotesque is ever present in work inspired by Victorian-era aesthetics and Surrealist artworks. Today Conner's art is part of several public collections, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C, the Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Musee Modern in Stockholm, Museum Moderner Kunst in Vienna, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

Bruce Conner - 26 PUNK PHOTOS
Bruce Conner - 26 Punk Photos. Gelatin Silver Print; 28 x 35.5 cm.

Bruce Conner's Sculptural Assemblages

Bruce Conner (born in 1933 in McPherson, a city in Kansas) graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska and went on to study at the University of Colorado and the Brooklyn Museum Art School. In his early works, the artist was inspired by such movements as Dada and Abstract Expressionism. In 1956 Conner had his first solo exhibition in New York.

The artist first gained public attention with his assemblages created out of found objects combined to create complex amalgams. Using items such as bicycle wheels, costumes, jewelry, fur, and broken dolls, the artist created complex compositions which were often erotically charged. In 1959 he made one of his most renowned pieces entitled Child, featuring an emaciated figure rotting in a chair. The work was inspired by and a homage to the executed prisoner Caryl Chessman whose life story left a profound impact on the artist. About his work, Conner said:

My work is described as beautiful, horrible, hogwash, genius, maundering, precise, quaint, avant-garde, historical, hackneyed, masterful, trivial .. it's all true.

Bruce Conner - Untitled, December 21, 1961
Bruce Conner - Untitled, December 21, 1961. Graphite on paper; 31.8 x 24.4 cm

Filmography

Over the course of several decades, Bruce Conner made numerous films and was considered a pioneer of avant-garde filmmaking. In 1958 he made his most famous piece, A Movie. Even though it is a 12-minute non-narrative film made out of short scenes from old newsreels and movies, it made quite an impact on the public and critics as well. Over time, the artist created his unique technique of quick-cut editing, which meant he could convey a lot in a single short movie.

To create music for his films, Conner often collaborated with musicians. On the Crossroads (1976), he famously worked with Terry Riley and Patrick Gleeson. The 30-minute movie, which is today held at the Academy Film Archive, is credited for inspiring generations of young filmmakers.

Bruce Conner - Untitled Sculpture, 1979
Bruce Conner - Untitled Sculpture, 1979. Brick and Ace bandage; 10.5 x 21 x 5.4 cm

Exhibitions

Conner, who was a member of the San Francisco Beat movement, has had retrospective exhibitions at the Museo Reina Sofía, the Walker Art Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In 2016, a major retrospective of his work entitled It's All True was held at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Bruce Conner passed away in 2008 in San Francisco.

Featured image: Photo of Bruce Conner. Copyright of the artist. All images courtesy Bergamin & Gomide

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