Robert Whitman, a pioneering artist known for his contributions to performance and multimedia installation, has passed away at the age of 88. His death was confirmed by Pace Gallery, stating that he died on January 19.
Born in 1935, Whitman pushed the boundaries of multimedia art. Often collaborating with engineers and scientists to implement technology into his installations and performances, the artist led several movements that elevated experimentation in visual arts.
Whitman’s career was marked by his prominent role in the “Happenings” performances, a movement of performance art in the ‘50s and ‘60s where artists and audience members participate in unplanned, often spontaneous and interactive events. He collaborated with notable artists like Claes Oldenburg, Allan Kaprow, Jim Dine, and Red Grooms. In 1967, Whitman co-founded the art organization Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) with Robert Rauschenberg, fostering partnerships between artists and engineers. In 1967, his first solo exhibition with Pace, titled “Robert Whitman: Dark,” showcased innovative laser installations created in collaboration with engineer Eric Rawson.
One of Whitman’s most renowned performances, “American Moon,” debuted in 1960 at the Reuben Gallery in New York. This performance, characterized by its integration of light flashes, darkness, film projections, and sounds, was later revived in 2023 at Pace’s New York gallery. Whitman was also known for his perspective on theater as a time-based art form, considering time as a material akin to paint or plaster.
Whitman’s work is featured in major public collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
from Artsy News https://ift.tt/QI7XigT
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