The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths (Window or Wall Sign)

West Entrance Hall, first floor (Lenfest Hall/West Foyer)

Main Building

The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths (Window or Wall Sign)

1967

Bruce Nauman (American, born 1941)

The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths (Window or Wall Sign), one of Nauman’s first neons, is a founding work in his career. Hijacking a medium generally associated with the tawdry (cheap motels, shop windows, and bars), Nauman's sign advertises a metaphysical and deeply personal message as if it were for sale. Throughout his long and illustrious career, Nauman has examined the role and responsibilities of the artist. The title statement of this poetic spiral is neither entirely facetious nor completely serious, and the contradictions embodied in the piece yield an ambiguity that is both playful and profound.

West Entrance Hall, first floor (Lenfest Hall/West Foyer)

Object Details

Title:

The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths (Window or Wall Sign)

Date:

1967

Artist:

Bruce Nauman (American, born 1941)

Medium:

Neon

Dimensions:

59 × 55 × 2 inches (149.9 × 139.7 × 5.1 cm)

Classification:

Sculpture

Credit Line:

Purchased with the generous support of The Annenberg Fund for Major Acquisitions, the Henry P. McIlhenny Fund, the bequest (by exchange) of Henrietta Meyers Miller, the gift (by exchange) of Philip L. Goodwin, and funds contributed by Edna Andrade, 2007

Accession Number:

2007-44-1

Geography:

Made in North and Central America

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West Entrance Hall, first floor (Lenfest Hall/West Foyer)

Main Building

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