Summary of Rachel Wither's review from Art Forum March 2001 pp155-156 by MSB

Erwin Wurm in the Photographer's Gallery

Rachel Withers review of Erwin’s photography on his improvisational ‘sculptures’ in the 90’s and video work, portrays his work from a different angle to blokey bloke’s article. She describes some of his pieces as accidents that have already happened and the overarching tension between ‘aspiration and ‘failure’ that is present: “…common preoccupation with failure or more precisely the sense of the inevitable shortfall between the aspiration to make art and the results of that aspiration.” This theme ran strongly throughout the Hayward exhibition of “Laughing in a foreign language”, particularly in Jan Lehtinen’s photography.


These are some key quotes:
“Wurm disconsolately clutches onto his absurd but reassuring sculptural rituals in a lonely place of transit.” I am not sure whether I agree with how Withers refers to his practice as ‘absurd’. It may appear to have an element of absurdity from first impression but there are also bold and subtle statements (depending on the piece) on social and political issues that govern modern life.
“work of art is dispersed existing simultaneously and inseparably across concept, performance and documentation”.


Statement accompanying early 60’s performance by Vaultier:
“The artist sees nothing, hears nothing, and says nothing, thus “only my pretension is visible”

Reference to Freud:
1927 paper “Der Humor”: a state of mind in which the super ego changed from persecutory agency into benign parental comforter, “speaks kindly words of comfort to the intimidated ego”