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Referential Art

If there is one thing about art that perpetuates the exclusivity of the "industry", it is the tendency of many artists to reference other work that came before them. This means that audiences require a knowledge of art history in order to fully appreciate the works.

Because I just posted about Dan Flavin I thought I'd post this other work I came across, called Forget Flavin by Anne Senstad. Forget Flavin is a site-specific work that was commissioned by the Zendai Moma and rejects Flavin in the title and also in its use of neon over fluorescent. Of course, Flavin used fluorescent because it was a common, un-artful material. Neon, on the other hand, is much more rare and expensive. The style of Senstad's piece is also a rejection of Flavin's clean, simple minimalism.

I'm used to seeing referential art that is a tribute to a past artist, but I think this is the first time I've seen a blatantly referential work that had a negative connotation. Do you know of any others? Maybe it's just too early for me to think straight...

via vvork.com

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Filed under  //   anne senstad   dan flavin   fluorescent   neon   site-specific  

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Dan Flavin

The minimalist movement spanned many different media, which further proves how much minimalist work pushed not only the boundaries of painting, but of art in general. Dan Flavin used commercially available fluorescent tubes to create minimalist sculpture, which was a marriage of both post-Abstract Expressionism and a precursor to Pop Art. Many of Flavin's works are untitled with a dedication -- sometimes to friends and family members but other times, as is the case in the example below, the dedications are to other artists.

Dan Flavin. (American, 1933-1996). Pink out of a Corner - To Jasper Johns. 1963. Fluorescent light and metal fixture, 8' x 6" x 5 3/8" (243.8 x 15.2 x 13.6 cm). Gift of Philip Johnson. © 2008 Estate of Dan Flavin / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A1911&page_number=1&template_id=1&sort_order=1

http://www.diacenter.org/exhibs_b/flavin/

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Filed under  //   dan flavin   fluorescent   installation   purple   site-specific  

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