NO NO NO
a project by Mel Ziegler for the 10 year anniversary of the Sandhills Institute.
In 1982, First Lady Nancy Reagan advised Americans facing an epidemic of drug use, to “Just Say No.” Later, in the climate of sexual harassment awareness, the international non profit, No Means No, coined the eponymous slogan and oft-used mandate. Each of these catch phrases used “no” in the clearest, most definitive and appropriate way, suitable for the serious issues they were addressing. But, in the ever-evolving nature of language, “no” has also found itself referring to dozens of situations and casual expressions. For instance, how often have you heard “No problem,” after saying thank you or “No wonder,” to suggest something that could have been predicted? And how about when an idea is good, but not good enough to celebrate—hence, “No cigar”? Or this when a person is an amoral, despicable “no good.” Then, of course, there is the earnest, emphatic, “No kidding” and its spin-off “No kidding?” standing in for “Really?”
These are just a handful of the myriad uses of no that have worked their way into common parlance. But here, conceptual artist Mel Ziegler highlights them in a work of art entitled “NO, NO, NO.” He has placed 50 red signs, bearing various uses of “No” on fence posts lining the west side of lower Main Street in Rushville, NE. ( imitating the ubiquitous use of No Hunting signs) It is a perfect example of how Ziegler who, with his late wife Kate Ericson, made a name for themselves in the art world of the 1980s and 90s with conceptual art that involved itself with ideas. Often temporary and, in their work, always civically engaged, conceptual art has the ability to make subtle statements about all manner of things, including history, injustice or, in a more light-hearted vein, language. Ericson/Ziegler, as their partnership was called, and later, Mel Ziegler on his own, were masters at this thought-provoking art form, and widely celebrated as pioneers of civically engaged art. The book on their work, entitled America Starts Here (published by MIT Press) documents the scores of artworks they produced together.
This project is part of a larger 10 year anniversary exhibition called Art aRound Town on Main Street in Rushville, NE August/September 2024
