While I was at Southwestern College a few weeks ago checking out the original buildings before they get demolished, I paid a visit to "Dark" by Bruce Nauman.
The sculpture is "a 4’ by 4’ by 4” thick solid steel slab with the word “DARK” written on the bottom.
It was purchased as part of the Annual Purchase Award Exhibit: Outdoor Sculpture April 19 - May 10, 1968. $1900 of student funds were used to pay Nauman for the work.
Source: SPEAKOUT, Southwestern College Art Gallery, The First Decade
It was a controversy before it was even out of concept form. Source: Chula Vista Star News, 1968
Little old ladies in tennis shoes did not start this fire.
Source: Chula Vista Star News, 1968
Bob Matheny makes a great point.
Source: Chula Vista Star News, 1968
John Baldessari was an instructor at Southwestern College at the time and wrote an essay in defense of "Dark". Here are some of his key points, which are so good and so Baldessari. Read the full essay here.
The controversy went on for quite some time. Finally, a special Student Council meeting was held and after many tie votes, the decision was made to purchase the sculpture. This was the last Purchase Award Show for the college.
Source: SPEAKOUT, Southwestern College Art Gallery, The First Decade
Fast forward to 1981. Bruce Nauman is becoming a big deal and a New York art dealer approaches the school about selling "Dark". All but one board of trustees votes in favor of selling it off for an estimated $10,000.
Source: Chula Vista Star News, 1981
Luckily, the deal ended up "falling through" because Christies found out how much the sculpture weighed and worried their floor couldn't hold it.
Source: Chula Vista Star News, 1981
Today, Bruce Nauman is considered one of the greatest living artists and will soon have a retrospective at Tate Modern. He has also been included as one of the Top 10 Most Expensive Living American Artists. Not bad for a $1900 junior college art gallery purchase prize.
This brings us back to Baldessari's essay in defense of "Dark":
18. IT’S FOOLING PEOPLE TO BUY JUNK
Life is too short to go around fooling people. Art is long, and time will prove the value or non-value of this piece.
It's no doubt that "Dark" would have never made it to Southwestern College without Bob Matheny (1929-2020).
SPEAKOUT is a new website that chronicles the first decade of the Southwestern College Art Gallery, under Bob's healm. There are essays by Bob and Dave Hampton, along with an incredible timeline of the exhibitions held at Southwestern College.
The first exhibition held at the gallery created by Bob was John Baldessari - Paintings & Collages, Nov 13 - Dec 8, 1961. The controversy began right away. Sadly we lost both John and Bob recently.
Source: SPEAKOUT, Southwestern College Art Gallery, The First Decade
Source: John Baldessari quote from Welton Jone's article "Tiny Southwestern had huge impact on 60's San Diego," San Diego Union Tribune, 1994 via Spitting in the Wind by Dave Hampton