Stuff About Things - Episode 18 - Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Clocks, and Candy

Aug 26, 2026

Stuff About Things Episode 18 explores contemporary artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres through the lens of his life, artistic practice, and the cultural context of the 1980s and 1990s. The episode discusses his background across Cuba, Puerto Rico, and New York, highlights his shift toward new appreciation for contemporary art, and connects his work—especially pieces made with candy—to wider events such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It also includes references to specific works and supporting materials.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Episode 18: Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Clocks, and Candy

Podcast introduction and episode focus

Artist background: Cuba, Spain, Puerto Rico

Education and move to New York

Work overview and key themes

Stuff About Things Episode 18: Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Clocks, and Candy Wait, am I recording? You are listening to Stuff About Things, an art history podcast. All right, let’s Van Gogh. Hello, and welcome, bienvenue, benvenuto, willkommen to Stuff About Things, an art history podcast. My name is Lindsay, and I am a Ph.D. student in--give you three guesses what--art history, you say? You are correct. What gave that away? This is my little corner of the internet, where I come to escape the daily drudge, which is researching and writing my dissertation. You could only read and write about something for so long before you go crazy. For each of these episodes, I choose a thing that I’ve always wanted to know more about, I research that thing, and then I tell you stuff about it. Hence, the podcast’s name--Stuff About Things. Simple and to the point. Before we jump into today’s episode, I have a favor to ask ofall of you. If you like the podcast, which I hope that you do, I would really appreciate it if you would rate and review it on iTunes. I put an obscene amount of time and energy into making these episodes, which is why they are monthly-ish, and I think that they’ve gotten a lot better since I started. I would be incredibly grateful if you would just take two minutes to hop on iTunes and leave me a review. A huge thank you to anyone who does that. Thank you, thank you. Also, you may hear some noises in the background of today’s episode. I am dog-sitting two massive yellow labs that are currently supervising me--oh, hi. Speak of the devil. Hi, Zigs. One of them just walked in the closet and is now licking the carpet, so, yeah, that’s a--that’s what we’re working with, and we will make do. If you would like to see managers Gus and Ziggy, I will post a picture of them slumbering beside me on the podcast’s Instagram page. I am really excited and a little bit nervous for today’s episode, because I am talking about one of my favorite artists of all time, and I want to do him justice. That artist is Felix Gonzalez-Torres, a contemporary artist who was active in the 1980s and 1990s. Felix Gonzalez-Torres created some of the coolest, most touching and relatable works of art that I have ever had the privilege of seeing and consuming. Yes, consuming. More on that later. Despite being one of my favorite artists, I hadn’t even heard of Felix Gonzalez-Torres until about three years ago, when a work of his was displayed at a museum where I was interning. Mind you, my specialty is the Italian Renaissance or, like, thereabouts with a little bit of French Modernism sprinkled in here and there, so it’s no surprise that I don’t know that much about contemporary art. But the truth, dear listeners, is straight-up for a long time, I did not like contemporary art. I’m the person who would, if they went to the contemporary wing of a museum at all, would usually be going there to use the bathroom, because--pro tip--contemporary art wings are usually newer, which means the bathrooms tend to be nicer. Or worse, I’d walk around the contemporary wing, like, pretending to be enjoying myself, like,“Oh, yeah, that’s nice. I don’t get it, but, like, it’s fine. It’s interesting, I guess.” The reality is that I simply didn’t know enough to appreciate what I was seeing, and I do still struggle with it. Like, I’m not going to lie, still struggle with it. But Felix Gonzalez-Torres and his art were my gateways to a new-found appreciation for and curiosity about contemporary art, and I wanted to take this opportunity to learn more about him, his work, and to share all ofthat knowledge with you. In this episode, we are going to talk about it all, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, his life, his work, and the events, relationships, and ideas that he engaged with, including a brief history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that hit the United States and the world in the 1980s. Throughout the episode, I will be referencing any number of Gonzalez-Torres’s works, but I will focus pri

FAQs

Who is Felix Gonzalez-Torres and when was he active?

Felix Gonzalez-Torres is a contemporary artist active in the 1980s and 1990s. He is described as creating emotionally resonant and relatable works of art.

Where did Gonzalez-Torres spend his early life and education?

He was born in Cuba and spent much of his early childhood there, later moving through Spain and settling in Puerto Rico. He then moved to New York City to complete a degree at Pratt, and later pursued a graduate degree in photography at the International Center of Photography.

What topic does the episode connect to Gonzalez-Torres’s work made with candy?

The episode links his works—primarily those using candy—to a brief history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that affected the United States and the world in the 1980s.

Aug 26, 2026

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