Ed Young speculates that the ultimate piece of performance art would be to accept an invitation to perform in an international exhibition, then simply arrive at the gallery at the appointed time, dressed “nice” for the occasion, drink wine, and go back home, like any other viewer.
The artist has already partially achieved this ambition in his work Do Nothing (2004) by flying to Belgium from Cape Town, based on his proposal to do just that. Young spent his time in Ghent drinking beer and playing video games.
For the end-of-year auction at the Michaelis School of Fine Art in 2002, Young submitted a person as his artwork: one Bruce Gordon, the owner of Joburg Bar on Cape Town’s trendy Long Street. The catalogue listed the piece as Bruce Gordon (Found Object[concept]). The bidding rose to an astonishing R52,000 (about $7,000) in spite of a prior explanation by the auctioneer that the successful bidder would not even get a dinner with the auctioned object—they would simply be purchasing the “concept.”
The top bidder was art events organizer Suzy Bell, who promptly donated her prize to the South African National Gallery. The press wrote sarcastic stories about the absurdity of an art world in which collectors would pay that much money for nothing at all. “The art world has become the art object itself,” responded Young.
And that is how Bruce Gordon (Found Object [concept]) became part of the South African National Gallery (SANG) collection, and how and why the artwork had his acquisition number tattooed onto his upper arm. It was an event that appeared on national television.
In 2005 Young traveled to Italy accompanied by his artwork, invited by curators Francesco Bonami and Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev to participate in the Pantagruel Syndrome at the Turin Triennale. The SANG sent the loan forms for Bruce Gordon (Found Object [concept]) to the Italian curators, and Young requested from the organizers a hand-tailored Italian suit for Gordon. The two “did nothing” at a string of art world parties.
Young is also known for his video works. In his re-edit of various Superman movies in It’s Not Easy (2005), the superhero appears as a man wracked with despair and doubt. This piece was shown at the Hayward Gallery, London, in 2008.
He works in other media as well. At the Locust Project Space in Miami, in a year-long project in 2008 Young presented four different site-specific murals based on scrambled messages, like BLACK IN FIVE MINUTES.
Irreverent, often deliberately politically incorrect, Young’s work may have a light touch, but this should not be confused with shallowness. His carefully aimed provocations show that art that critiques the art world can also be funny.
Bruce Gordon showing SANG acquisition tattoo 2002–03
Image courtesy of the artist
Photographer: Daniel Baumann
© Ed Young
Newspaper billboard following the auction of “Bruce Gordon” 2002
I Love New Work 2007
Mural
Locust Projects (Miami)
Image courtesy of the artist
Photographer: Daniel Baumann
© Ed Young
Do Nothing 3/5 (Torino) 2005
Image courtesy of the artist
Photographer: Tiziana Anonne
© Ed Young
Do Nothing 2/5 (Ghent) 2004
Image courtesy of the artist
Photographer: Giannina Urmeneta Ottiker
© Ed Young
St. Motherfucking Maxim’s Day 2004
In collaboration with Max Raffard
Image courtesy of the artist
Photographer: Melodie Abad
© Ed Young
It Was Only a Blowjob 2007
Mural
Blank Projects (Cape Town)
Image courtesy of the artist
Photographer: Sebastian Charilou
© Ed Young
Bruce Gordon (Torino) 2005
Bruce Gordon with Jay Jopling
Image courtesy of the artist
Photographer: Tiziana Anonne
© Ed Young