DAN FLAVIN

The light and colours of Flavin’s installations, composed of commercially available fluorescent light tubes, recreates the ambient qualities of space, allowing viewers to experience a beautiful spatial illusion. Flavin’s art is recognized as Minimalist due to the geometric and architectural qualities of the tubes, which are intrinsic to their functionality. In his play with the immateriality of light and colour, Flavin is a true artistic original. His use of fluorescent light defies medium specificity; it comprises the art of painting, sculpture, and architectural design. Like his close friend and artistic companion Donald Judd, Flavin greatly influenced the contemporary art scene as well as the fields of interior and architectural design. This puts him in an unrivalled position of significance in the history of American art.

For this exhibition, PKM Gallery presents important light works that Flavin debuted at museum exhibitions along with works in smaller sizes traditionally featured in private collections. The fluorescent lights are installed in both the impeccable, spectacular exhibition space of PKM’s main building and the annex with its more intimate ambiance. The exhibition allows viewers to encounter a captivating illusion of space filled with vibrant colours and light.

Dan Flavin began serving in the United States Air Force in 1953 and was stationed at the Fifth Air Force Headquarters in Osan, Korea a year later. He returned to New York in 1956 where he studied art history at Columbia University. His first solo exhibition was held at the Judson Gallery, New York in 1961. Flavin’s works have been exhibited in many world-renowned institutions including The Museum of Modern Art (New York), Whitney Museum of American Art (New York), National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.), Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA), Tate Modern (London, UK) and Staaliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden (Baden-Baden, Germany). Major permanent installations of the artist’s works can be found in Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), Dia Art Foundation (New York) and The Chinati Foundation (Marfa, TX).