Dennis Oppenheim (1938 - 2011) - Objectified Common Forces

This lithograph, Objectified Counter Forces, presents a compelling visual and conceptual performance piece staged in Aspen, Colorado, in July 1971. The work features Oppenheim’s children, Kristin and Erik Oppenheim, in a 200-meter sack race, portrayed through a sequence of grainy photographic film stills. The performance is accompanied by typed text from the artist, reflecting on internal conflict and duality:

“My offspring are pitted against each other in a 200 meter sack race. When energy is directed against itself, friction occurs... in the afternoon sun, I watched as two parts of me sought for supremacy... and created nothing…”

A poignant exploration of personal and performative tension, this work merges themes of familial ties, self-division, and conceptual performance. The piece is signed in pencil by Dennis Oppenheim and dated.

Dennis Oppenheim (1938–2011) was a central figure in conceptual, land, and body art movements of the late 1960s and 1970s, working in a milieu that included artists such as Vito Acconci, Bruce Nauman, Chris Burden, Marina Abramović, Joseph Beuys, Allan Kaprow, and Yoko Ono. His work is held in major institutions including the MoMA, Tate, and Centre Pompidou.

Oppenheim’s influence and context spans the practices of key avant-garde and contemporary artists such as Richard Long, Robert Smithson, Michael Heizer, James Turrell, Walter De Maria, John Baldessari, Lawrence Weiner, On Kawara, Bas Jan Ader, Nam June Paik, Gordon Matta-Clark, Dan Graham, Hans Haacke, Robert Morris, Sol LeWitt, Carl Andre, Eva Hesse, Dorothea Rockburne, Hanne Darboven, Mel Bochner, and Eleanor Antin. His legacy also resonates with newer generations of artists exploring performance, conceptuality, and land intervention.

Condition:
Very good condition. Clean surface, strong contrast in the photographic imagery, and vivid typed text. Minor edge wear consistent with age. Signature in pencil is clear and well-preserved.