Works by American artist Bruce Nauman span a diverse range of media, from photography and drawing to video and neon. American Violence, 1981–1982, in Glenstone’s collection, consists of eight words or phrases rendered in neon in the shape of a swastika. All components of the light fixtures are intentionally visible to the viewer: the power station with its Plexiglas cover, the transformer, and four short power cables. The voltage applied to the neon glass tubes causes different mixtures of gas to emit light in various colors. As American Violence flashes on and off we see phrases both ominous and absurd, as though illuminated on the Las Vegas strip. The works remains unsettlingly relevant more than 40 years after it was made.

–Steven O'Banion, from the Glenstone Field Guide