Notes Toward a Definition of Nobody - A Reverie
Artist: Ronald B. Kitaj (American, 1932 - 2007)
Date: 1961
Dimensions:
H: 48 in. (122 cm); W: 88 in. (223.5 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Gosman
Object number: 1973.42
Label Text:Many of R. B. Kitaj’s mostly figurative works bring together a range of references, from art history and literature to his Jewish heritage, and include complex explorations of ideas and politics. The “Nobody” of the painting’s title refers to a 16th-century German legend about a scapegoat for any disharmony in the home; centuries later it came to represent rebellion in the face of institutional corruption. To Kitaj, Nobody was the symbolic personification of grievance in the human condition. Sitting on a ledge with their arms and legs crossed, Kitaj’s Nobody is faceless and nameless, but envisioned as an African American figure. Significantly, the work was painted during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
Kitaj provides a sense of narrative through varying vignettes. Perhaps these additional figures have some relation to Nobody, though their significance is unclear. This work appears to be more open-ended than meant to provide a comprehensible narrative. As he stated, "There is no, or very little, question of ultimate meanings, as, I think, issues of meaning are far less clear than is often supposed, even in simple, abstract art." To participate in critical dialogues, Kitaj and this work might suggest that we embrace complexity and nuance to find constructive ways to move forward together.
Kitaj provides a sense of narrative through varying vignettes. Perhaps these additional figures have some relation to Nobody, though their significance is unclear. This work appears to be more open-ended than meant to provide a comprehensible narrative. As he stated, "There is no, or very little, question of ultimate meanings, as, I think, issues of meaning are far less clear than is often supposed, even in simple, abstract art." To participate in critical dialogues, Kitaj and this work might suggest that we embrace complexity and nuance to find constructive ways to move forward together.
Not on view
In Collection(s)