Trench, Shafts, Pit, Tunnel and Chambers

Bruce Nauman – 1982, Library Terrace

The sculpture consists of two identical parts that mirror one another. The “trench” is the circular ring at the top of one, while the “tunnel” is the circular ring on the bottom of the other. The “pit” is the triangular form opened to the sky, and the “chamber” is the triangular form pointing to the sky. Diagonal “shafts” connect the trench to the chamber and the tunnel to the pit.

Photo credit: Les Nakashima