Reality and illusion: Achieving a balance in the exhibition and treatment of Robert Gober's Untitled wax legs

In 2004–5 Robert Gober cast two sets (male and female) of reclining human legs in beeswax with individually inserted human hairs. These legs are part of a larger multi-component installation where each set of legs is installed in a bathtub filled with running water. Gober exhibited the legs at the Matthew Marks Gallery in 2005 after which they were acquired by MoMA. The legs have been shown twice since 2005; in 2007 in Basel at the Schaulager Museum, and in 2014–5 at MoMA for the Robert Gober retrospective. The legs have experienced a range of significant conditions including wax discoloration, wax efflorescence, algae bloom, soiling, pitting, and hair loss. This paper will overview the legs’ fabrication and discuss their exhibition and treatment histories.