EDWARD KIENHOLZ

"Una vita contro"


THE WORKS

" Roxy's "

" The illegal operation "

" The Nativity "

" The birthday "

" While visions of sugar plums 
   danced in their heads "
   
" The back seat Doge '38 "

" The wait "

" The Beanery "

" The state hospital "

" The eleventh hour final "

" The portable war memorial "

" Five car stud "

" The concept tableaux "

WHILE VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS DANCED IN THEIR HEADS  - 1964

Bedroom furniture, bedding, radio, two framed pictures, two fiberglass figures.

“While Visions Of Sugar Plums Danced In Their Heads” deals with the sexual thoughts necessary for intercourse between man and wife long since distant and bored with each other. The work has three distinct dimensions or parts. First, the image of the couple preparing for bed which is frozen on the bureau mirror. It is interesting to note the compulsive neatness of the woman in contrast to the beer-drinking sloppiness of the man. Second is the actual heat and sweat during the moment of copulation in bed. Third, each figure ends with a grotesque head into which the viewer-voyeur is invited to peek by means of two small lenses. Inside are the orgiastic images fantasized by each. The title comes from a Christmas poem by Clement Clark Moore: “(...) The children were nestled all snug in their beds while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads (...)”.