Bruce Nauman exhibition, Tate Modern

Provocative, raunchy, uplifting, darkly funny; Bruce Nauman’s work is all of these. His art has also been described as unsettling, even obtuse, but in many ways defies simple categorisation, spanning as it does a diverse range of media, at once acknowledging trends in the contemporary art world, while also working independently of them.

Visitors to Tate Modern will be able to draw their own conclusions about Nauman's work this October, with an exhibition showcasing the full range of his 50-year career through more than 40 artworks. The show will touch on his interest in words and existential dichotomies with neon pieces such as One Hundred Live and Die (1984) and his interest in the manipulation of space and light with Black Marble Under Yellow Light (1981/1988). Surveillance and control are also recurring themes in Nauman's art. Double Steel Cage Piece (1974) is an installation that forces visitors to negotiate the narrow space between two cages, one placed inside the other. Those brave enough to enter will have to shuffle sideways in a claustrophobic squeeze to exit again.

Bruce Nauman. Black Marble Under Yellow Light, 1987. Light installation and black marble blocks380 x 5000 x 6000 mm. “la Caixa” Collection. Contemporary Art© Nacho López© ARS, NY and DACS, London 2020

Nauman has also explored his interest in the human body and the limits of endurance in the course of his long career. In one seminal video titled Clown Torture (1987), a man dressed as a clown repeats a series of phrases and actions to the of point extreme discomfort. In Shadow Puppets and Instructed Mime (1990), suspended wax heads are accompanied by the projected recording of a female mime, acting out the commands of a disembodied male voice.

This exhibition promises to be truly immersive, not just because it will include rooms dedicated to single installations, but because Nauman’s works provoke strong feelings in his audience. His art will make you think, it might even make you squirm. But one thing is for sure; it rarely leaves you cold.