| | Dan Flavin (American, 1933-1996), was one of the most innovative artists of his generation, whose continuing influence on the development of post-war sculpture can be seen in the work of leading contemporary artists including Liam Gillick, Olafur Eliasson and Pedro Cabrita Reis. Flavin’s important place in the history of twentieth-century art is increasingly recognised internationally and the Haunch of Venison exhibition coincides with the first full retrospective of Flavin’s work that is concurrently touring America. Dan Flavin: Works From The 1960s presents a selection of Flavin’s key works that illustrate the early development of his practice, all of which are on view in the UK for the first time.
Flavin first came to public attention in the mid 1960s as one of a group of American artists who were referred to as ‘Minimalists’ including Carl Andre, Donald Judd and Sol LeWitt. They dispensed with the traditional materials of sculpture, exploring instead the possibilities of abstract forms, industrial materials and machine production, and their new approach helped to change the definitions and boundaries of sculptural practice.
From 1963 Flavin’s work consists almost entirely of a reductive formal vocabulary of light installations made from arrangements of readymade fluorescent tubes in ten colours (blue, green, pink, red, yellow, ultraviolet and four whites) and five shapes (one circular and four straight fixtures of eight, six, four and two-foot lengths). Flavin’s work is particularly concerned with exploring the visual effects of light defining space. He created new formats for presenting his work that animate their architectural setting, including ‘corner’ pieces, ‘corridors’ and ‘barriers’. Flavin’s interest in making works for a particular site led to permanent installations, most notably at the Dan Flavin Art Institute, Bridgehampton, New York (1983), at Chiesa Rossa di Santa Maria Annunciata in Milan, Italy (1997), and at Donald Judd’s Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas (2000).
Dan Flavin: Works from the 1960s brings together a representative selection of Flavin’s work from that decade that present key developments in his practice. These include the diagonal of May 25, 1963, 1963 his first deployment of a single diagonal light. Seriality was an important development in Flavin’s work, and his most important series, “monuments for V.Tatlin” presents monochrome multi-tube works in various compositions. The exhibition includes two examples, including one of the first made in 1964. untitled (to Mr. and Mrs. Giuseppe Agrati), 1964, one of Flavin’s earliest multi-coloured works, reveals his interest in exploring sensuous and exuberant colour combinations. This work is shown alongside a later ‘colourist’ work, untitled (to Bob and Pat Rohm), 1969 a particularly beautiful red, green and yellow ‘corner’ piece where Flavin introduces a new format designed to animate the work’s architectural setting. The exhibition also presents a number of Flavin’s drawings, which reveal his thought processes and working methods. Although Flavin drew throughout his life, his drawings have rarely been exhibited.
Dan Flavin was born in New York City, and as a student at Columbia Univeristy in 1959 he took programs in drawing and painting. His early work from 1957–1962 consists of drawings, watercolours and small objects that are rich in literary and cultural references. Flavin had his first solo exhibition in 1961 and later that year began experimenting with electric light in a series of works called ‘icons’, which led him to his inaugural work in pure fluorescent light, the diagonal of May 25, 1963. His first show of fluorescent light works in 1964 was followed by his inclusion in key group exhibitions that came to be labelled ‘Minimalist’ including Primary Structures at the Jewish Museum in New York in 1966. His first retrospective exhibition fluorescent light, etc. from Dan Flavin was held at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa in 1969. During the 1970s and 1980s, Flavin worked closely with the Dia Art Foundation to realise large projects including lighting several train platforms at New York’s Grand Central Station in 1977.
The Haunch of Venison exhibition will be followed by an illustrated exhibition catalogue with an essay by Briony Fer, Reader in History of Art at University College London. The gallery is grateful to Stephen Flavin and the Dan Flavin Estate for their co-operation in mounting this exhibition. Dan Flavin: A Retrospective is on show at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas from February 25 – June 5, 2005 and travels to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago from July 1 – October 30, 2005.
For information and images please contact: Claire Walsh
Call +44 (0) 20 7936 1296 or email cwalsh@brunswickgroup.com
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