Robert Gober's 'the heart is not a metaphor'

On the cover of the book that accompanied Robert Gober's exhibition at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is a photograph of the artist. He is seen from behind, in casual summer clothes, hightailing it down a wooded path to a lake, his dog bringing up the rear. We cannot see his face, but we do notice the plastic legs he carries under each arm. Except for that detail, this is classic summertime America. It sums up Robert Gober, on two counts: he looks at everyday life in America and sees it skewed; and he invites us to follow him into his work without promising any straight answers.