Robert Gober

Robert Gober’s work often pertains to transforming domestic/everyday objects. He does photography, printing, and even curates his own exhibits, but he is most known for his ability and modern ideas involving 3D work. Sexuality, religion, politics, and nature are some themes that one can perceive in most of his work.

Untitled (Hairy Shoe), 1992

wax, human hair

 4 x 8 x 3 in.

Some of Robert Gober’s work gives you quite a disgusting feeling when you see it. This is real human hair, and one cannot look at a shoe without thinking about putting their foot in it. One thing I do not necessarily like about Gober is that he rarely titles his work, and I feel a title can really lead a viewer in a direction; for instance, I have no idea what he is trying to say here. It is a shoe full of hair. He plays a lot with gender and the body, so maybe because this is a sort of womanly shoe with masculine hair inside plays with mirroring each other.

Untitled, 1990, beeswax, human hair, and pigment, 61.6 x 43.2 x 27.9 cm

This one also plays with the body of a man and a woman. I think this shows the idea that women and men are one in the same, we are alike. It could also be saying that we need each other to survive. On the left it has the woman’s breast and on the right a man’s with hair clear to the belly button. But although they have separate sides, they are one in the same because of this bag like object that they are both on.

Half Buried Sink, 1987

97.2 x 62.2 x 6.4 cm.

Robert Gober did a lot of work with sinks at one point in his career. This one is somewhat different from the others he has done, but I think that is what appealed to me when I stumbled across it. I do not know at what point in his sink era that this was made, but it is almost as if he is killing this object by making it into a burial site.

Untitled (Leg), 1989

beeswax, cotton, wood, leather and human hair

This one is at the Modern Museum of Art. I can’t help but wonder what is on the other side of the wall and where this persons other foot is! I don’t know if this was his point, but it certainly is goofy. I think the realistic nature of this piece is freaky. The real hair I’m sure is what does it. Gober, like the sinks, went through a leg thing as well, and he also used legs in sinks, little teeny legs. He is definitely one who does things out of the box with no purpose it seems.