Artist Research

Dan Flavin

Dan Flavin was an American minimalist artist famous for creating sculptural objects and installations from commercially available fluorescent light fixtures.

I find his work extremely distinctive, with his use of fluorescent light tubes and negative space it creates an extremely striking sculpture. The way he chooses to use his space such as the corner, the bottom of a narrow room or just on the wall with empty space makes every piece have a different effect.

 I have been very inspired by is use of colour, the warm and cool tones give different vibes for each piece which makes each individual one interesting. The glow from the tubes gives dimension and the illusion of warmth.

Flavin once said: ‘Everything is clearly, openly, plainly delivered. I love this description as it shows not everything has to be complex and chaotic, I think the simplicity is easy on the eye. 

He uses pattern in some pieces such as the bottom right with the squares, the repetitive flow of squares keeps it simple yet intriguing.