Potatoes Blocking my Studio Door

Rodney Graham’s light box Potatoes Blocking My Studio Door was created in 2006 in connection with the multimedia work Lobbing Potatoes at a Gong (1969). In the latter, Graham takes on the role of a conceptual artist from the 1960s who performs by throwing potatoes at a gong. To prepare for this role, Graham developed a fictional backstory: the imaginary artist he portrayed initially studied painting before turning, in 1960s New York, to new artistic movements such as Minimalism and Conceptual Art. It was during this phase that Potatoes Blocking My Studio Door was created—first as an installation and later as a backlit work.
In many of his works, Rodney Graham has explored the artist's role and its evolution throughout history.