Chewable Relief
Children’s aspirin
2.25 x 1 x 1 in (each) 50 total
5.7 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm (each) 50 total
2003
Richard Humann • Chewable Relief • Children’s aspirin • 2.25 x 1 x 1 in (each) 50 total • 2003
In Chewable Relief, Richard Humann revisits the familiar toy soldier, transforming an object associated with childhood play and miniature warfare into a work that questions the relationship between conflict, vulnerability, and relief. Cast from baby aspirin using the original molds of the plastic soldiers Humann played with as a child, each figure retains the precise shape and scale of its childhood counterpart while replacing durable plastic with a fragile, dissolvable material.
Arranged in opposing formations, the soldiers appear ready to engage in battle. Yet their material undermines the aggression of the scene. Baby aspirin, associated with soothing pain and treating minor ailments, introduces an unexpected contrast: objects designed to represent combat are made from a substance intended to provide relief. The soldiers embody both the threat of violence and the possibility of alleviating its consequences.
The title, Chewable Relief, brings these opposing ideas together. It evokes the familiarity of childhood medicine while suggesting a form of relief that is temporary and easily consumed. By recasting the toys of his own childhood, Humann brings personal memory into contact with the enduring imagery of warfare. The result is a miniature battle in which the symbols of conflict are rendered vulnerable, inviting reflection on the uneasy relationship between aggression, suffering, and the desire for relief.
Richard Humann • Chewable Relief • Children’s aspirin • 2.25 x 1 x 1 in (each) 50 total • 2003
Richard Humann • Chewable Relief • Children’s aspirin • 2.25 x 1 x 1 in (each) 50 total • 2003
Richard Humann • Chewable Relief • Children’s aspirin • 2.25 x 1 x 1 in (each) 50 total • 2003
Richard Humann • Chewable Relief • Children’s aspirin • 2.25 x 1 x 1 in (each) 50 total • 2003
Photo credits: J.B. Grant / Richard Humann Studio