Sound Asleep (The Sleep of Reason - After Goya, 1797), 1998

Installation with 2-channel audio, 2 down pillows, speakers. Installation dimensions variable.

This work conflates the meaning of different states of consciousness. It is inspired by "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters", an etching by the Spanish artist Francisco Goya.

In an intricate interplay of sensory experiences, this installation employs a two-channel audio system, down pillows, and speakers to create an immersive environment that challenges conventional understandings of consciousness. The dimensions of the installation are variable, allowing for a flexible spatial arrangement that invites viewers to engage with the work on multiple levels. Conceptually, the installation draws inspiration from "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters," a seminal etching by the renowned Spanish artist Francisco Goya. Created between 1797 and 1799, this etching is the 43rd piece in a series of 80 Drypoint Aquatints that constitute Goya's suite of satires, Los Caprichos.

The installation serves as both an homage to and a critical reinterpretation of Goya's work, extending its thematic concerns into contemporary art and theory. By conflating different states of consciousness, the installation prompts viewers to question the boundaries between wakefulness and sleep, reason and unreason, thereby challenging the dichotomies that often underpin our understanding of mental states. Down pillows and audio channels add layers of complexity to the installation, transforming it into a multisensory experience that engages both the body and the mind. The pillows evoke notions of comfort and security, while the audio channels introduce a dissonant element that disrupts the viewer's expectations, creating a tension between the familiar and the unfamiliar.

Furthermore, the installation engages with Goya's original etching not merely as a visual artifact but as a complex cultural text subject to various interpretations over the years. Goya's Los Caprichos, and particularly "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters," have been read as a critique of the irrationality and superstitions that plagued society during his time. Similarly, this installation can be viewed as a commentary on contemporary issues related to rationality, consciousness, and the complexities of the human psyche.

In summary, this installation offers a nuanced scrutiny of the multifaceted nature of consciousness, inspired by Francisco Goya's iconic etching. Through audio, down pillows, and variable spatial dimensions, the work creates an immersive environment that challenges viewers to reconsider their preconceptions about mental states while engaging in a rich intertextual dialogue with historical works of art.