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Remembering Rebecca Horn: A Multifaceted Artist
Explore the life and legacy of Rebecca Horn, a multifaceted artist renowned for her innovative works that blend performance, sculpture, and film. Discover her unique artistic vision and the profound impact she has left on contemporary art.
Rebecca Horn, an extraordinary artist renowned for her theatrical flair, distinctive sense of humor, and an underlying tone of existential dread, passed away on September 6 at her residence in Bad König, Germany. She was 80 years old. Her New York gallerist, Sean Kelly, confirmed the news, noting that her health had been declining since she suffered a stroke in 2015.
Among Horn’s most celebrated works is “Einhorn,” or “Unicorn” (1970), a piece she conceived during her time at art school in Hamburg. This work is a remarkable fusion of sculpture, costume, and performance, and serves as a playful yet suggestive nod to the artist’s own name. It featured a straight white wooden horn with a flared base, attached to a white fabric harness. In a daring move, Horn once convinced a tall female classmate to traverse the countryside wearing the horn and harness, completely nude.
Reflecting on this audacious performance in an interview for the catalog of her 1993 survey at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Horn recounted how two hunters, riding by on bicycles, “literally fell off in disbelief” at the sight.
Following the impactful debut of “Unicorn,” Horn continued to create surreal and unsettling body-modification sculptures. Her repertoire included:
- A pair of extended balsa-wood “Finger Gloves”
- Masks crafted from feathers
- A B.D.S.M.-style mask adorned with pencils
In addition to her sculptural works, Horn was known for her kinetic sculptures, such as the strikingly chaotic “Concert for Anarchy,” which depicted an upside-down piano seemingly on the verge of explosion. She also ventured into filmmaking, directing features like the comedy “Buster’s Bedroom” (1991), which starred Donald Sutherland and explored the life of a woman obsessed with the silent film legend Buster Keaton. Furthermore, Horn produced elegant constructions made of mirrors and twigs and created evocative, abstract mixed-media drawings that captured her unique artistic vision.
Rebecca Horn’s legacy is one of innovation and bold exploration, leaving an indelible mark on the realms of contemporary art and performance.