Art World Mourns Loss of Influential Figures Including Calvin Tompkins and Rhoda Roberts
The art community recently lost several notable individuals. Calvin Tompkins, a prominent writer for the New Yorker for over six decades, passed away at age 99. He authored numerous artist profiles and books, including a biography related to F. Scott Fitzgerald's work. Australian arts advocate Rhoda Roberts, known for promoting Indigenous culture during the Sydney 2000 Olympics, also died. Other figures include performance artist Agosto Machado, a participant in the 1969 Stonewall uprising; art collector Egidio Marzona, who specialized in avant-garde movements; and British airbrush artist Philip Castle, creator of famous album covers and film posters. Additional losses encompass art historian Charlotte Gere, sculptor Robert L. Godwin, comic artist Sam Kieth, photographer Carol Kitman, artist Swietlan Nicholas Kraczyna, philanthropist Marica Vilcek, architect Desmond Williams, collector Brad Bucher, and jeweler Thomas Gentille. These individuals contributed across writing, collecting, activism, and various artistic disciplines.
Key facts
- Calvin Tompkins, a New Yorker staff writer for 60+ years, died at 99.
- Rhoda Roberts championed Indigenous Australian art, notably in the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
- Agosto Machado was a New York performance artist involved in the Stonewall uprising.
- Egidio Marzona collected Dada, Bauhaus, and Fluxus ephemera, donating to German institutions.
- Philip Castle designed iconic works like the A Clockwork Orange poster and David Bowie's Aladdin Sane cover.
Entities
Artists
- Calvin Tompkins
- Rhoda Roberts
- Agosto Machado
- Philip Castle
- Thomas Gentille
- Robert L. Godwin
- Sam Kieth
- Swietlan Nicholas Kraczyna
- Carol Kitman
Institutions
- New Yorker
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Vilcek Foundation
- British Museum
- Whitney Biennial
- Rice University
- Parsons School of Design
- Gordon Robichaux Gallery
- Maureen Paley Gallery
- Aboriginal National Theatre Trust
Locations
- New York City
- Sydney
- Florence
- Houston
- Alabama
- Brooklyn
- Bratislava