Doug Aitken
1968 (black)
Doug Aitken's *1968 (black)* serves as both a personal and political monument to the seismic cultural upheaval of the year of his birth, a year Time magazine coined "The Year that Shaped a Generation." The work functions simultaneously as memorial and admonition, reflecting on the collective loss of innocence experienced through the escalating Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and widespread political radicalism. Aitken transforms historical weight into intimate souvenir, confronting the moment when the American consciousness was irrevocably forced to abandon its idealism and reckon with a harsh new reality.
- Medium
- Coined “The Year that Shaped a Generation” by Time magazine, 1968 was a year of profound political, social, and economic transformation – one that signified a loss of innocence from the collective consciousness of a nation, and the world. Both political commentary and personal souvenir, Doug Aitken’s 1968 serves as a memorial and admonition of the cultural turmoil witnessed in the year of his birth. In an environment emotionally charged not only by the escalating conflict in Vietnam, but also the Civil Rights movement and political and social radicalism, the events of 1968 ushered into the American consciousness the recognition of a new, harsh reality, abandoning the
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Phillips
🔨 Auction Lot
Contemporary Art Day Sale
November 12, 2013
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