Even though each component repeats the blunt but ambiguous two-word appeal (an order? a request?), the variation in how that emotional utterance is graphically registered accounts for the work’s powerfully lyrical dimension. Each is given in its own written form, in some cases quite legibly, some mixing upper and lower case letters, some almost indecipherable, some suggesting childhood, and still others suggesting boldness, fragility, desperation, or mania. The number and installation of separate neon elements varies according to how McQueen responds to the gallery space displaying them; at the Wex, they were densely clustered, as always with the power source and the cascade of cords prominently displayed.
Presented amid the most contested presidential election in American history and massive social upheaval surrounding the entwined public health issues of systemic racism and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wexner Center’s fall exhibitions showcased work from a diverse group of artists examining the tenets of American democracy, representative structures, and modes of political discourse. Discover more about the other exhibitions on view and related programs below.
