Attempt to Raise Hell, 1974
Dennis Oppenheim, one of the leading figures in the development of Conceptualism in the United States, had a solo exhibition, ‘Land and Body’ at IMMA in 2001. Oppenheim’s work brings together an extraordinary amalgam of mechanical devices, familiar objects, photographs, maps and performance to draw attention to political and social issues, and to the means of representation itself. The title of his 1990 retrospective at PS1 in New York, ‘And The Mind Grew Fingers’, is highly descriptive of the kind of work with which he is associated.
‘Attempt to Raise Hell’ is one of a limited edition. In this edition the green jacket on the figure is a reference to stereotypical Irishness. The startling sound accompaniment to this piece draws attention to the endangerment of the body that was such a concern of Oppenheim and other performance artists. The use of a puppet in this piece is a development from the artist’s performance work. This work is one of two acquired by IMMA following the ‘Land and Body’ exhibition.
| Medium | Cast iron bell suspended from the ceiling, seated figure with coloured cast aluminium head and hands, cloth and felt suit, wooden base with timing mechanism |
| Dimensions | Unframed, 182.8 x 182.8 x 121.9 cm |
| Credit Line | IMMA Collection: Purchase, 2001 |
| Item Number | IMMA.1349 |
| Copyright | For copyright information, please contact the IMMA Collections team: [email protected]. |
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