Movies by Bruce Nauman

Bouncing Balls

Bouncing Balls

In this film, Nauman bounces his testicles with one hand. Shot in extreme close-up, the work is perhaps an ironic reference to an earlier film Bouncing Two Balls Between the Floor and Ceiling with Changing Rhythms, in which he bounced rubber balls. Along with Black Balls, Gauze, and Pulling Mouth, Bouncing Balls is one of Nauman's "Slo-Mo" films which are shot with an industrial high speed camera.

Violent Incident: Man-Woman, Segment

Violent Incident: Man-Woman, Segment

In this video work Bruce Nauman explores violence, gender and behaviour. Set around a simple middle class dining table, the scene quickly escalates into a slapstick fight between a man and a woman. Their actions become increasingly more erratic and aggressive yet also ridiculous and cartoon-like as the video progresses. Nauman explores the ways in which anger can be provoked by others and questions the way we can react to them. Much like many of his other artworks, he employs the use of humour and exaggeration to explore serious and even dan...

Clown Torture: Clown with Goldfish

Clown Torture: Clown with Goldfish

This is one of four videos in a collection called Clown Torture, 1987 by Bruce Nauman- this one being "Clown with Goldfish" featured at the Chicago Art Institute.

Violin Film #1 (Playing The Violin As Fast As I Can)

Violin Film #1 (Playing The Violin As Fast As I Can)

Violin Film #1 (Playing the Violin as Fast as I Can), is one of several 1967-68 films featuring Nauman's violin-playing, in which the production of sound is subjected to procedural strategies that problematize its status as music and performance.

Violin Tuned D.E.A.D

Violin Tuned D.E.A.D

In an earlier film, Playing A Note on the Violin While I Walk Around the Studio (Violin #1), Nauman played a single note on the violin as he walked around his studio. In this video work, he remains in a stationary position while he plays four strings together. (These have been tuned to the notes of the title, as opposed to the normal G, D, A, and E.) The camera is fixed and turned on its side.