Housed in the Museum Abtieberg in Mönchengladbach, Germany, Schokoladen-Objekte consist of 17 sculptures belonging to different series encased in a glass vitrine. The multiples are examples of Lion-Self, Doll Partially Immersed In Chocolate, and Chocolate Bust. The pieces are made of out solid chocolate that has been melted and cast into molds. The sculptures were cast in Dieter Roth’s studio in Hamburg between 1968 and 1971.
Transience and nomadism play important roles in Roth’s professional and personal life. In 1943, at the age of 13, the artist experienced his first translocation upon being sent from Germany to Switzerland at the time of the war. During this time Roth began exploring his affinity towards the arts through drawing, painting, and poetry. In 1955 the artist moved to Copenhagen where he worked as a goldsmith. Soon after he moved again to Reykjavík at which point he added kinetic pictures and Op art to his ever-growing body of work. In 1964 he took a job as a professor at Yale University in Connecticut; there his experimentation with the artist’s book and foodstuffs took form. After spending time in Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and New York Roth returned to Reykjavík but made frequent visits to the aforementioned cities. It is evident that his geographical nomadism was accompanied by a desire to learn and experiment with different media and movements. Roth, however, saw himself primarily as a poet, consequently there is a strong literary character in works.
Transience and nomadism play important roles in Roth’s professional and personal life. In 1943, at the age of 13, the artist experienced his first translocation upon being sent from Germany to Switzerland at the time of the war. During this time Roth began exploring his affinity towards the arts through drawing, painting, and poetry. In 1955 the artist moved to Copenhagen where he worked as a goldsmith. Soon after he moved again to Reykjavík at which point he added kinetic pictures and Op art to his ever-growing body of work. In 1964 he took a job as a professor at Yale University in Connecticut; there his experimentation with the artist’s book and foodstuffs took form. After spending time in Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and New York Roth returned to Reykjavík but made frequent visits to the aforementioned cities. It is evident that his geographical nomadism was accompanied by a desire to learn and experiment with different media and movements. Roth, however, saw himself primarily as a poet, consequently there is a strong literary character in works.
The use of foodstuffs is fundamental in Roth’s oeuvre. The artist recounts his discovery of the beauty of decaying food while attempting to destroy “dirty pictures” he had drawn by pouring sour milk on them, only to realize they became more beautiful. He states that from this instance he learned that “works of art should be like that - they should change like man himself, grow old and die.”[1] Decomposition in reference to the self is therefore essential to the Chocolate Objects.
Of the objects present in the vitrine, the self-portrait dominates. The Lion-Self multiples depict a seated animal with a large head that is only distinguishable as a lion through the title. The lion is a recurring motif in Roth’s works, found particularly in his jewelry and print pieces. Roth referred to his companion at the time as his lioness and him the lion. As the title suggests the sculpture is a representation of an alter ego, it is essentially a self-portrait.
The Chocolate Bust multiples also serve as examples of distorted self-portraits. In them Roth depicts a much older version of himself, complete with a bald head, hollowed cheeks, big nose and big ears. It is certainly not a portrayal of the thirty-eight year old that cast the pieces. The firsts chocolate busts belonged to a series titled Portrait of the Artist as Birdseed Bust in which the artist added seeds to the chocolate and intended for them to be places outdoors where nature, by way of animals and the elements, as well as time would leave their mark on the sculptures. In creating portraits of an old man as art Roth is referencing, possibly parodying, James Joyce’s Portrait of an Artists as a Young Man.
In essence Chocolate Objects presents self-portraits that are, like man, literally growing old and decomposing from the moment of creation. After 45 years the pieces are well into the decomposition process, although measures have been taken to prolong the phase of decay in order to put off their imminent destruction. With time the color and texture of the chocolate pieces has changed noticeably yet not uniformly, bringing out what Roth referred to as the “blossoming of decay”. In some sculptures the fat in the chocolate has risen to the top giving them an ashen patina, others have deep fissures caused by temperature changes, while others have been perforated by insects. In this effect the pieces can be interpreted as modern symbols of vanitas by referencing the transient nature of life and impending death.
The depreciating nature of the works can also be interpreted as a statement against the commodification of art. Richard Hamilton, British Pop artist, collaborator and long-time friend of the artist, stated that Roth’s desire was to destroy the art market. Selling a piece that cannot grow in value is unquestionably a way to confuse the market.
In accordance with Roth’s nomadism, it is impossible to pin him down to a single artistic movement or tendency. He was influenced by Swizz Constructivism and Op art early on, then collaborated with Fluxus briefly but concluded that the group was not committed to the production of art and deemed them lazy. Some of his works has been linked to Pop art and Arte Povera. At the end of his career he turned towards film and video to capture and reflect impermanence of life.
[1] Dieter Roth, “Statements,” in Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, eds. Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012), 347.
Of the objects present in the vitrine, the self-portrait dominates. The Lion-Self multiples depict a seated animal with a large head that is only distinguishable as a lion through the title. The lion is a recurring motif in Roth’s works, found particularly in his jewelry and print pieces. Roth referred to his companion at the time as his lioness and him the lion. As the title suggests the sculpture is a representation of an alter ego, it is essentially a self-portrait.
The Chocolate Bust multiples also serve as examples of distorted self-portraits. In them Roth depicts a much older version of himself, complete with a bald head, hollowed cheeks, big nose and big ears. It is certainly not a portrayal of the thirty-eight year old that cast the pieces. The firsts chocolate busts belonged to a series titled Portrait of the Artist as Birdseed Bust in which the artist added seeds to the chocolate and intended for them to be places outdoors where nature, by way of animals and the elements, as well as time would leave their mark on the sculptures. In creating portraits of an old man as art Roth is referencing, possibly parodying, James Joyce’s Portrait of an Artists as a Young Man.
In essence Chocolate Objects presents self-portraits that are, like man, literally growing old and decomposing from the moment of creation. After 45 years the pieces are well into the decomposition process, although measures have been taken to prolong the phase of decay in order to put off their imminent destruction. With time the color and texture of the chocolate pieces has changed noticeably yet not uniformly, bringing out what Roth referred to as the “blossoming of decay”. In some sculptures the fat in the chocolate has risen to the top giving them an ashen patina, others have deep fissures caused by temperature changes, while others have been perforated by insects. In this effect the pieces can be interpreted as modern symbols of vanitas by referencing the transient nature of life and impending death.
The depreciating nature of the works can also be interpreted as a statement against the commodification of art. Richard Hamilton, British Pop artist, collaborator and long-time friend of the artist, stated that Roth’s desire was to destroy the art market. Selling a piece that cannot grow in value is unquestionably a way to confuse the market.
In accordance with Roth’s nomadism, it is impossible to pin him down to a single artistic movement or tendency. He was influenced by Swizz Constructivism and Op art early on, then collaborated with Fluxus briefly but concluded that the group was not committed to the production of art and deemed them lazy. Some of his works has been linked to Pop art and Arte Povera. At the end of his career he turned towards film and video to capture and reflect impermanence of life.
[1] Dieter Roth, “Statements,” in Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art, eds. Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2012), 347.