House Divided is an etching and drypoint on Fabriano Rosaspina paper, executed in 1985 and published by Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles. This impression is from the edition of 23 — one of only 23 numbered examples, plus seven artist's proofs — signed and dated '83' in pencil by the artist. The work bears the blindstamps and ink stamp of Gemini G.E.L. on the reverse and is preserved with full margins, framed.
The work exemplifies the conceptually rigorous and formally restrained visual language of Bruce Nauman, one of the most influential and critically acclaimed American artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Working across sculpture, video, neon, performance, and printmaking, Nauman has consistently interrogated the nature of language, perception, and the body — using simple forms and charged titles to generate profound psychological and philosophical resonance. In House Divided, the title — a direct reference to Abraham Lincoln's famous 1858 speech — carries a weight of political and social history that infuses the composition with layers of meaning extending far beyond its formal qualities. The etching and drypoint technique, with its precise incised lines and subtle tonal variations, reflects Nauman's mastery of the print medium and his ability to transform a technical process into a vehicle for conceptual inquiry.
Published by Gemini G.E.L. — one of the most prestigious and historically significant print workshops in the world, whose roster includes Johns, Rauschenberg, Lichtenstein, and Serra — this impression carries an impeccable production and institutional pedigree. Works produced by Gemini G.E.L. are held in the permanent collections of MoMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, and major institutions worldwide.
That same conceptual engagement with language and text defines Raw-War (1971), a lithograph in which Nauman charges a single word with layered meaning. A more architectural interrogation of space and structure can be found in Untitled (Crossbeams), 1986 — both available now at Lynart Gallery.