Richard Serra
1938–2024
Introduction
Richard Serra (November 2, 1938 – March 26, 2024) was an American artist known for his large-scale abstract sculptures made for site-specific landscape, urban, and architectural settings, whose work has been primarily associated with Postminimalism. Described as "one of his era's greatest sculptors", Serra became notable for emphasizing the material qualities of his works and exploration of the relationship between the viewer, the work, and the site.
Serra pursued English literature at the University of California, Berkeley, before shifting to visual art. He graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1961, where he met influential muralists Rico Lebrun and Howard Warshaw. Supporting himself by working in steel mills, Serra's early exposure to industrial materials influenced his artistic trajectory. He continued his education at Yale University, earning a B.A. in Art History and an M.F.A. in 1964. While in Paris on a Yale fellowship in 1964, he befriended composer Philip Glass and explored Constantin Brâncuși's studio, both of which had a strong influence on his work. His time in Europe also catalyzed his subsequent shift from painting to sculpture.
From the mid-1960s onward, particularly after his move to New York City in 1966, Serra worked to radicalize and extend the definition of sculpture beginning with his early experiments with rubber, neon, and lead, to his large-scale steel works. His early works in New York, such as To Lift from 1967 and Thirty-Five Feet of Lead Rolled Up from 1968, reflected his fascination with industrial materials and the physical properties of his chosen mediums. His large-scale works, both in urban and natural landscapes, have reshaped public interactions with art and, at times, were also a source of controversy, such as that caused by his Tilted Arc in Manhattan in 1981. Serra was married to artist Nancy Graves between 1965 and 1970, and Clara Weyegraf between 1981 and his death in 2024.
Wikidata identifier
Q321245
Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Accessed April 12, 2024.
Introduction
American sculptor.
Country of birth
United States
Roles
Artist, painter, sculptor, video artist
ULAN identifier
500029327
Names
Richard Serra
Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed April 12, 2024.
24 works
-
Abu Ghraib
2004 -
Stop BS
2004 -
Stop BS
2004 -
Out-of-round IX
1999 -
Clifton Chenier
1997 -
Leo
1997 -
II Hreppholar
1991 -
Videy Drawing XXI
1991 -
Square Level Forged
1988 -
St. Louis
1982 -
Left Corner Rectangles
1979 -
Railroad Turnbridge
1976 -
Boomerang
1974 -
Untitled (Project for the Whitney Museum)
1973 -
Television Delivers People
1973 -
Untitled
1972–1973 -
Color Aid
1970–1971 -
Rolled, Encased & Sawed
1969 -
Frame
1969 -
Tina Turning
1969 -
Prop
1968, refabricated 2007 -
Hand Catching Lead
1968 -
Hands Scraping
1968 -
Hands Tied
1968