Felix Gonzalez-Torres often used everyday materials, including candy, for his art. In works such as “Untitled” (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) (1991), Gonzalez-Torres chose candy wrapped in shiny, colorful cellophane, producing a brilliant arrangement of colors, shapes, and textures. Viewers are invited to take a piece from the installation, diminishing and altering the look of the artwork over time. The candy spills symbolize the ideal weight of the average male and reference the weight loss and eventual death of his partner, Ross Laycock, from an AIDS-related illness.
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