Bruce Nauman's Slant Step reinterpreted as toilet footrest in new book revelation

A new interpretation of Bruce Nauman's Slant Step suggests the object was originally designed as a toilet footrest. Christopher Knight reported in the LA Times that Peter Plagens' book Bruce Nauman: The True Artist contains an email from William Witherup revealing this purpose. The Slant Step was purchased from a thrift store in 1965 by Nauman and William Wiley. It became an iconic art object that inspired The Slant Step Show exhibition in San Francisco in 1966. Previously thought to result from poor DIY craftsmanship, the slanted surface was actually intended to promote healthy posture during bowel movements. Witherup organized the 1966 exhibition featuring Nauman and other artists. The object's functional origin as an evacuation aid contrasts with its later status as conceptual art. Knight's article was published on June 10, 2014.