Good Boy, Bad Boy (1985) by Bruce Nauman
"Good Boy, Bad Boy" is the name of an installation artwork created by Bruce Nauman in 1985.
Source: Artchive
It features a 100-line poem written out in multicolored neon lights.
[T]he installation employs two actors, Joan Lancaster and Tucker Smallwood, who are presented in close-up, like newscasters, on two separate monitors.
Source: The Art Institute of Chicago
Both actors recite the poem several times in a row, and the recordings loop.
Directly confronting the viewer, they deliver each repetition with increased emotional intensity, shifting in and out of sync with one another.
Source: The Art Institute of Chicago
At least that's how the artist intended the installation to be experienced. To the best of my knowledge, this exhibit is not currently on display, and I can't determine where the physical parts of the exhibit are located. I would relish the opportunity to see the installation as intended.
All that remains are the video recordings, which have been published online both as a combined work that approximates the experience of the installation and as separate videos of the two actors' performances.
These recordings, especially Joan Lancaster's performance, are how I became familiar with this installation. I was originally shown Joan's performance without any context, which made for an oddly compelling experience. Art is deeply subjective, so I can't explain why this particular piece resonated with me. Some of the lines of the poem have made their way into my everyday lexicon. The work is endlessly memeable without it becoming the butt of the meme, unlike so much other modern art.
The poem
Here's the text of the poem as written in neon, though the actors' recitations vary slightly.
1. I was a good boy 2. You were a good boy 3. We were good boys 4. That was good
5. I was a good girl 6. You were a good girl 7. We were good girls 8. That was good
9. I was a bad boy 10. You were a bad boy 11. We were bad boys 12. That was bad
13. I was a bad girl 14. You were a bad girl 15. We were bad girls 16. That was bad
17. I am a virtuous man 18. You are a virtuous man 19. We are virtuous men 20. This is virtue
21. I am a virtuous woman 22. You are a virtuous woman 23. We are virtuous women 24. This is virtue
25. I am an evil man 26. You are an evil man 27. We are evil men 28. This is evil
29. I am an evil woman 30. You are an evil woman 31. We are evil women 32. This is evil
33. I'm alive 34. You're alive 35. We're alive 36. This is our life
37. I live the good life 38. You live the good life 39. We live the good life 40. This is the good life
41. I have work 42. You have work 43. We have work 44. This is work
45. I play 46. You play 47. We play 48. This is play
49. I'm having fun 50. You're having fun 51. We're having fun 52. This is fun
53. I'm bored 54. You're bored 55. We're bored 56. Life is boring
57. I'm boring 58. You're boring 59. We're boring 60. This is boring
61. I have sex 62. You have sex 63. We have sex 64. This is sex
65. I love 66. You love 67. We love 68. This is our love
69. I hate 70. You hate 71. We hate 72. This is hating
73. I like to eat 74. You like to eat 75. We like to eat 76. This is eating
77. I like to drink 78. You like to drink 79. We like to drink 80. This is drinking
81. I (like to) shit 82. You (like to) shit 83. We (like to) shit 84. This is shit(ting)
85. I piss 86. You piss 87. We piss 88. This is piss
89. I like to sleep 90. You like to sleep 91. We like to sleep 92. Sleep well
93. I pay 94. You pay 95. We pay 96. This is payment
97. I don't want to die 98. You don't want to die 99. We don't want to die 100. This is fear of death
Portions of this post reproducing aspects of "Good Boy, Bad Boy" © 2018 Bruce Nauman / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York