Art + Nature + Technology

Dan Flavin was my chosen artist for the recent theory essay, as I feel he fits comfortably in within this week's topic, having comprised the entirety of his works using only fluorescent light tubes and electricity (notably, his works also have strong links to Art and the Quotidian Object). The following is derived from my review of three of his works;

Having first exhibited his works in 1961, Flavin continued exhibiting until the year of his death in 1996. The use of commercial fluorescent light tubes, their meticulous placement within the gallery space and the function of the viewer respectively characterise Flavin’s work. Flavin’s exclusive use of fluorescent light tubes commenced early in his professional career in May, 1963; his diagonal placement of a singular tube upon a studio wall, became a powerful catalyst for his works to come. Drawing from only a limited colour palette and pre-set tubular lengths, Flavin consistently created unique work by formulating different compositions and colour collectives, utilizing the specific architectural structure of each new building in which he exhibited.