"Untitled" (America)

“Untitled” (America) is comprised of twelve strings of everyday light bulbs, containing a total of 504 bulbs. The sculpture epitomizes the artist’s conception of the work as a collaboration between the artist, its owner, and the viewing public, since the work can be shown in any configuration the owner desires: hanging from the ceiling, across the wall, or on the floor; as one long line, several smaller ones, or even as a tangle of bulbs and wires in a corner. All twelve strings or only one cord might be on view each time the work is installed. Such flexibility parallels the multi-valence of its title. A Cuban immigrant to the United States, Felix Gonzalez-Torres subtitled many of his works “America,” a sort of blank symbol that leaves viewers free to devise their own interpretations.