KIENHOLZ, Ed

The Birthday

1964

Tableau: mannequin with electrically lighted lucite, gynecologist's examination table, suitcase, clothing, paper, flock, fiberglass, paint, and polyester resin

Art often tries to resist interpretation and words, but evidently it speaks such a clear language that it is quite easy to translate. Sometimes maybe even better the interpretation is there and then a tableau like this as an illustration. The art is in the conception: it offers a whole story in one parallel vision of reality that tries to defy all further necessity of speech. So in this picture everything of the birthday is from the womb of a pregnant mother. Big arrows show the reality of birth. It seems to be as good as violent the way the message is stated. It kills the mother that gives birth. So could mother nature die giving birth and birthdays to the violence of modern time going all sides like a piece of firework.

---

© Time Art Gallery/hall 1