Dan Flavin

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Dan Flavin

Born April 1, 1933(1933-04-01)
Died November 29, 1996 (aged 63)
Riverhead, New York
Nationality American
Field Installation art, Sculpture
Training Columbia University

Dan Flavin (April 1, 1933, Jamaica, New York – November 29, 1996, Riverhead, New York) was an American minimalist artist famous for creating sculptural objects and installations from commercially-available fluorescent light fixtures.

Contents

[edit] Education

Flavin studied art history for a short time at the New School for Social Research, then moved on to Columbia University, where he studied painting and drawing.[1]

[edit] Life and career

Flavin first conceived of using electric light as an art form in 1961,[2] the same year he married his first wife Sonja Severdija.[3] His first solo show was also held in 1961, at New York's Judson Gallery.

[edit] Early work

The first works to incorporate electric light were his "icons" series: eight colored square box-forms, constructed by the artist and his then-wife Sonja: these were fluorescent tubes with incandescent bulbs attached to their sides, and sometimes beveled edges. One of these icons was dedicated to Flavin's twin brother David, who died of polio in 1962.[4] "

[edit] Mature work

The "Diagonal of Personal Ecstasy (the Diagonal of May 25, 1963)," completed in 1963, was Flavin's first mature work; it marks the beginning of the artist's exclusive use of fluorescent light as a medium. In the decades that followed, he continued to use fluorescent structures to explore color, light and sculptural space, in works that filled gallery interiors. These structures cast both light and an eerily-colored shade, while taking a variety of forms, including "corner pieces", "barriers," and "corridors." Most of Flavin's works were untitled, followed by a dedication in parenthesis to friends, artists, critics and others: the most famous of these include his "Monuments to V. Tatlin," an homage to the Russian constructivist sculptor Vladimir Tatlin, which he continued to work on between 1964 and 1990.

Flavin married his second wife, the artist Tracy Harris, in a ceremony at the Guggenheim Museum, in 1992.[5]

Dan Flavin's last artwork was a site-specific work at S. Maria Annunciata in Chiesa Rossa, Milan, Italy. The 1930s church was designed by Giovanni Muzio. The design for the piece was completed two days before Flavin's death on November 29, 1996. Its installation was completed one year later with the assistance of the Dia Center for the Arts and Fondazione Prada.[6]

Flavin died in Riverhead, New York.

[edit] Sculptures in collections[7][8]

[edit] United States

Arizona

  • untitled (in memory of "Sandy" Calder) V 1/5, 1977, Private Collector, Scottsdale

California

  • untitled (to Marianne), 1970, San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla
  • monument for V Tatlin, 1969, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
  • untitled (to Robert, Joe, and Michael), 1975-82, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
  • untitled (to Charles Cowles), 1963, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
  • Mrs. Reppin's survival, 1966, Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena
  • untitled 1/3, 1969, Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena

Colorado

  • untitled (for A. C.), 1992, Denver Art Museum, Denver

District of Columbia

  • untitled, 1980, Administered by United States General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program, Washington
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin 1/5, 1968, National Gallery of Art, Washington
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin 4/5, 1969-70, National Gallery of Art, Washington
  • untitled (to Barnett Newman to commemorate his simple problem, red, yellow, and blue) 4/5, 1969-70, National Gallery of Art, Washington

Illinois

  • untitled (monument for V. Tatlin), 1970, Private Collector, Chicago
  • the alternate diagonals of March 2, 1964 (to Don Judd), 1964, Private Collector, Chicago

Massachusetts

  • Barbara Roses, 1962-1965, Smith College, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton

Michigan

  • "monument" for V. Tatlin, 1969, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit

Minnesota

  • untitled, 1963, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
  • untitled, 1966, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin 3/5, 1969, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

Nebraska

  • untitled, 1964, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, Lincoln

New Hampshire

  • untitled (To Elita and her baby, Cintra), 1970, Dartmouth College, Hood Museum of Art, Hanover

New York

  • gold, pink and red, red 2/3, 1964, Dia Art Foundation, Beacon
  • monument 4 for those who have been killed in ambush (to P.K. who reminded me about death) 2/3, 1966, Dia Art Foundation, Beacon
  • the diagonal of May 25, 1963 (to Constantin Brancusi) 3/3, 1963, Dia Art Foundation, Beacon first entirely fluorescent work
  • the nominal three (to William of Ockham) 2/3, 1963, Dia Art Foundation, Beacon
  • untitled (to a man, George McGovern) 2 2/3, 1972, Dia Art Foundation, Beacon
  • untitled (to the real Dan Hill) 1b 1/5, 1978, Dia Art Foundation, Beacon
  • untitled, 1996, Dia Art Foundation, Beacon
  • red out of a corner (to Annina) 3/3, 1963, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • untitled 2/3, 1976, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • untitled (to Robert, Joe and Michael) 2/3, 1975-81, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • untitled (to Jan and Ron Greenberg) 2/3, 1972-73, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • untitled (in honor of Harold Joachim) 3 1/3, 1977, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • untitled (to Katharina and Christoph), [from the series to European couples] 1/5, 1971, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 1 1/3, 1972, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 2 1/3, 1972, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 3 1/3, 1972, Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin, 1964, Museum of Modern Art, New York
  • pink out of a corner - to Jasper Johns, 1963, Museum of Modern Art, New York
  • untitled (to the "Innovator" of Wheeling Peachblow) 2/3, 1968, Museum of Modern Art, New York
  • untitled, 1968, Museum of Modern Art, New York
  • three fluorescent tubes, 1963, Private Collector, New York
  • icon V (Coran's Broadway flesh), 1962, Private Collector, New York
  • icon VIII (the dead nigger's icon)(to Blind Melon Jefferson), 1962, Private Collector, New York
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin 1/5, 1964, Private Collector, New York
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin 4/5, 1964, Private Collector, New York
  • untitled (to Henri Matisse) 3/3, 1964, Private Collector, New York
  • untitled (for Ad Reinhardt) 1b 1/5, 1990, Private Collector, New York
  • greens crossing greens (to Piet Mondrian who lacked green), 1966, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
  • the nominal three (to William of Ockham), 1963, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
  • untitled (to Tracy, to celebrate the love of a lifetime), 1992, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
  • untitled (to Ward Jackson, and old friend and colleague who, during the Fall of 1957 when I finally returned to New York from Washington and joined him to work together in this museum, kindly communicated), 1971, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
  • untitled (for Robert, with fond regards), 1977, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
  • untitled, 1966, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
  • untitled, 1966, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

North Carolina

  • untitled, 1971, Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte

Ohio

  • untitled (to Janie Lee) one, 1971, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus
  • untitled (Fondly to Helen), 1976, Private Collector, Cincinnati
  • untitled (to Ellen Johnson, fondly), 1975, Oberlin College, Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin

Oregon

  • untitled (for Robert Ryman) 2/5, 1996, Private Collector, Corvallis

Texas

  • alternate diagonals of March 2, 1964 (to Don Judd) 2/3, 1964, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas
  • diagonal of May 25, 1963 (to Constantin Brancusi) 2/3, 1963, Fort Worth Art Museum, Fort Worth
  • monument 1 for V. Tatlin, 1964, Menil Collection, Houston
  • untitled (to Barbara Wood), 1970, Menil Collection, Houston
  • untitled frieze, 1996, Menil Collection, Richmond Hall, Houston
  • untitled foyer, 1996, Menil Collection, Richmond Hall, Houston
  • untitled interior, 1996, Menil Collection, Richmond Hall, Houston
  • icon III, 1962, Judd Foundation, Marfa
  • icon VI (Ireland dying)(to Louis Sullivan), 1962, Judd Foundation, Marfa

Washington

  • untitled (To Donna), 1973, Private Collector, Seattle

[edit] International

Canada

  • the alternate diagonals of March 2, 1964 (To Don Judd), 1964, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
  • untitled corner piece, , Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin, 1969-1970, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin, 1968, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
  • untitled (to Barnett Newman to commemorate his simple problem, red, yellow and blue), 1970, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
  • untitled, 1971, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba

France

  • "monument" for V. Tatlin, 1975, Musee National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris
  • untitled (To Donna) 5a, 1971, Musee National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris

United Kingdom

  • "monument" to V. Tatlin, 1975, Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Scotland
  • monument for V. Tatlin, 1966-1969, Tate Gallery, London
  • untitled, 1969, Tate Gallery, London
  • a primary picture 2/3, 1964, Hermes Trust U.K., London
  • untitled (to Lucie Rie, master potter) 1c 2/5, 1990, Waddington Galleries Ltd., London
  • untitled (to Lucie Rie, master potter) 1jjj 2/5, 1990, Waddington Galleries Ltd., London
  • untitled (to Lucie Rie, master potter) 1o 1/5, 1990, Waddington Galleries Ltd., London

[edit] Estate Collection

  • icon I (the heart) (to the light of Sean McGovern which blesses everyone), 1961
  • icon II (the mystery) (to John Reeves), 1961
  • pink out of a corner - to Jasper Johns, 1963
  • "monument" 1 for V. Tatlin, 1964, Sonja Flavin collection
  • Corner Monument 4, 1966
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin, 1967
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin, 1967
  • untitled (to Janie Lee) one, 1971
  • untitled (to Emily), 1973
  • untitled (to you, Heiner, with admiration and affection), 1973
  • untitled (in honor of Harold Joachim) 3, 1977
  • "monument" for V. Tatlin, 1981
  • untitled (to Piet Mondrian), 1985
  • untitled (for Donald Judd, colorist) 1, 1987
  • untitled (for Donald Judd, colorist) 2, 1987
  • untitled (for Donald Judd, colorist) 3, 1987
  • untitled (for Donald Judd, colorist) 4, 1987
  • untitled (for Donald Judd, colorist) 5, 1987
  • untitled, 1989
  • untitled (for Ad Reinhardt) 2b, 1990

[edit] References

  1. ^ Daniel Marzona and Uta Grosenick. Minimal Art," Taschen, 2004, p14
  2. ^ Daniel Marzona and Uta Grosenick, Minimal Art, Taschen, 2004, p50
  3. ^ diacenter.org accessed August 25, 2007
  4. ^ Tiffany Bell, diacenter.org accessed August 25, 2007
  5. ^ New York Times, June 26, 1992. Abstract available at nytimes.com
  6. ^ "Dan Flavin", brochure, S. Maria in Chiesa Rossa, Fondazione Prada, Dia Center for the Arts, 1997. Essay by Michael Govan.
  7. ^ Govan and Bell, Dan Flavin: A Retrospective, Yale University Press, 2004
  8. ^ diacenter.org accessed June 6, 2008

[edit] Bibliography

Govan, MIchael and Bell, Tiffany. "Dan Flavin: The Complete Lights, 1961-1996." Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. 2004.

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Flavin"
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