Lithograph on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/bruce-nauman-1691" aria-label="More by Bruce Nauman" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Bruce Nauman</a>
Black State
Purchased 1983
abstraction
inscriptions
non-representational
symbols and personifications
text
word
<p>Nauman''s work often antagonises or disorients. The ''No'' of this lithograph is in keeping with his refusal to offer solace or affirmation to the viewer. Its immediacy also demonstrate Nauman''s ongoing commitment to making what he describes as ''art that was just there all at once. Like getting hit in the face with a baseball bat. Or better, like getting hit in the back of the neck. You never see it coming; it just knocks you down''.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
paper print lithograph
25 March 2002 – 29 February 2004
2004-02-29
25 March 2002 – 29 February 2004
2004-02-29
2002-03-25
Tate Modern (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/
2002-03-25
Bruce Nauman
Collection based display
14 October 2006 – 8 January 2007
2007-01-08
19 May 2006 – 28 August 2006
2006-08-28
2006-05-19
Tate Liverpool (Liverpool, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/
14 October 2006 – 8 January 2007
2007-01-08
2006-10-14
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina (Museo MADRE) (Naples, Italy)
2006-10-14
Bruce Nauman: Make Me Think Me
Loan-out
11 December 2009 – 31 January 2010
2010-01-31
11 December 2009 – 31 January 2010
2010-01-31
2009-12-11
Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle (Warsaw, Poland)
Foksal Gallery Foundation (Warsaw, Poland)
2009-12-11
Bruce Nauman
Loan-out
14 June 2010 – 8 April 2012
2012-04-08
14 June 2010 – 8 April 2012
2012-04-08
2010-06-14
Tate Liverpool (Liverpool, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/
2010-06-14
Language as Sculpture
Collection based display
NO (Black State)
image: 698 × 1038 mm
framed: 806 × 1135 × 25 mm
Purchased 1983
<p>Nauman''s work often antagonises or disorients. The ''No'' of this <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/lithography" title="Glossary definition for 'Lithography'"><span>lithograph</span></a> is 
in keeping with his refusal to offer solace or affirmation to the viewer. Its immediacy also demonstrate Nauman''s ongoing commitment to making what he describes as ''art that was just there all at once. Like getting hit in the face with a baseball bat. Or better, like getting hit in the back of the neck. You never see it coming; it just knocks you down''.
</p>
Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
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<p><a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/nauman-no-black-state-p07938" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>P07938</span></a> <b>NO (Black State)</b> 1981
<br/>
<br/>Lithograph 27 1/2 × 54 1/4 (698 × 1038) on Arches Cover paper, printed by Chris Sukimoto and Richard Garst at Gemini GEL, Los Angeles, and published by them
<br/>Inscribed ‘B Nauman 81’ b.r. and ‘9/25’
<br/>Purchased from Castelli Graphics, New York (Grant-in-Aid) 1983
<br/>
<br/>This <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/lithography" title="Glossary definition for 'Lithography'"><span>lithograph</span></a> is one of a pair, the other being titled simply ‘NO’. Nauman worked with Serge Lozingot and Christine Fox at Gemini in the period between December 1980 and June 1982. One aluminium plate and one stone were used for both lithographs, the artist <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawing</span></a> the image with rubbing <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/i/ink" title="Glossary definition for 'Ink'"><span>ink</span></a> and tusche. For ‘NO’ the stone was printed first in black and then the plate in white, but for P 07938 the plate was printed first in white and then the stone in black, the overlaid black ink producing subtle grey <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/tone" title="Glossary definition for 'Tone'"><span>tones</span></a>. Nauman has used letters and words since making neon works in 1966–7 and continues to do so, often reversing, substituting or overlaying the letters of a simple word or phrase.
<br/>
<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/><i>The Tate Gallery 1982-84: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions</i>, London 1986
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-13T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
abstraction inscriptions non-representational symbols and personifications text word