Violent Incident – Man/Woman
Violent Incident – Man/Woman is a video work by Bruce Nauman that presents a repeated and escalating sequence of a staged altercation between a man and a woman, cycling through the same scripted interaction from multiple perspectives. The work examines themes of gender dynamics, aggression, and power through the relentless repetition of a seemingly mundane social situation that turns violent. Nauman's use of multiple monitors and looping footage transforms the incident into a disorienting and claustrophobic meditation on human conflict and the performance of everyday behavior.
- Medium
- VHS video cassette tape in color with audio, 30 minutes in length,
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Evening & Day Editions
April 28, 2014
Collectors with works by Bruce Nauman
Artists in conversation
Vito Acconci
American · b. 1940
Acconci similarly used performance and video to explore aggression, power dynamics, and psychological confrontation between bodies, often creating deeply uncomfortable works that implicate the viewer in scenes of tension and control.
Martha Rosler
American · b. 1943
Rosler's video work directly addresses gender dynamics and domestic violence through scripted and staged scenarios, most notably in Semiotics of the Kitchen, using repetition and performance to critique power structures between men and women.
Paul McCarthy
American · b. 1945
McCarthy creates provocative video and performance works featuring repeated, escalating acts of aggression and transgression that dismantle social norms, sharing Nauman's confrontational use of looping footage and disturbing staged interactions.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion