Year: 2005
Medium: neon
Dimensions: 15.2 x 61 cm (6 x 24 in.)
Edition: #1 of 3
Acquired from Phillips, 2023
As a conceptual artist, Evans is most concerned with the concept he presents in each context in his works, rather than the object or the materiality. He very consciously employs a simulationist attitude, referencing art historical precedents and drawing themes from literary texts. Evans points, in a self-referential manner, to various concepts that are tacitly assumed as materials for creating works of contemporary art. This work is very concise, presenting the word “SILENCE” as a neon sign in a simple typeface. However, each letter increases in size towards the final “E.” When recognizing this as a single word, the viewer runs their eyes from the “S” at the left end towards the “E” at the right end almost instinctively. The shape of the artwork as a whole evokes the idea of gradually increasing volume like a crescendo symbol, creating a gap between the meaning of “SILENCE” and how the viewer registers the piece. Or, if the viewer were to consider the unevenness in font size spatially, they would experience an illusion where the word appears to loom toward the foreground from the distance. The viewers may also be prompted to think about the social, cultural, and political meanings that the word “SILENCE” evokes. Evans’ stance as a conceptual artist is encapsulated in the act of paraphrasing such extremely multilayered ideas.
