Donald Lipski discusses his conceptual public art evolution from found objects to monumental commissions
Outside Hassenfield Children's Hospital at NYU-Langone Medical Center in Manhattan stands Donald Lipski's 24-foot sculpture, SPOT (2018), which depicts a Dalmatian balancing a New York City taxi. Lipski's journey from creating small sculptures to undertaking large public commissions was shaped by his childhood and his education at Cranbrook. His career took off with the 1978 exhibition Gathering Dust, and by the age of 30, he had a show at MoMA. Notable works include Building Steam (1982-87) and The Starry Night (1994), showcasing his unique item combinations. His public art includes The Yearling (1993) and The Ship of Pearl (2013). For SPOT, Lipski worked with fabricators, transforming a teddy bear concept into the Dalmatian based on input, merging traditional craftsmanship with digital techniques.
Key facts
- Donald Lipski created SPOT (2018), a 24-foot-tall Dalmatian balancing a taxicab, for Hassenfield Children's Hospital at NYU-Langone Medical Center in Manhattan.
- Lipski's early work involved found objects like twigs, bottle caps, and rubber bands, influenced by artists such as John Baldessari and minimalists like Carl Andre and Sol LeWitt.
- He had a solo exhibition at MoMA by age 30 after his show Gathering Dust at Artist's Space in 1978 caught curators' attention.
- Lipski's series Who's Afraid of Red, White & Blue? (1990) responded to political debates about flag desecration, created with The Fabric Workshop and Museum.
- The Yearling (1993), a life-sized horse on a giant chair, was moved from a Washington Heights school to the Denver Public Library due to community concerns.
- He studied ceramics under Don Reitz at the University of Wisconsin and later attended Cranbrook, learning from Richard DeVore and Michael Hall.
- Lipski's installation The Starry Night (1994) at Capp St. Projects in San Francisco used 20,000 razor blades embedded in sheetrock.
- His studio practice evolved from collecting abandoned objects in Tribeca to collaborating with fabricators for public commissions, maintaining a focus on intuitive creation.
Entities
Artists
- Donald Lipski
- Joyce Beckenstein
- Don Reitz
- Richard DeVore
- Michael Hall
- Robert Morris
- John Baldessari
- Marcel Duchamp
- Andy Warhol
- Louise Bourgeois
- Carl Andre
- Sol LeWitt
- Agnes Martin
- Robert Smithson
- Tom Finklepearl
- Peter King
Institutions
- Hassenfield Children's Hospital
- NYU-Langone Medical Center
- Cranbrook
- University of Wisconsin
- MoMA
- Artist's Space
- Pilchuck Glass School
- Capp St. Projects
- Corcoran Gallery
- The Fabric Workshop and Museum
- Humphrey Flag Co.
- Hillwood Gallery at C.W. Post College
- Whitney Museum
- Brooklyn Museum
- Denver Public Library
- The Cathedral Church of St Paul
- Episcopal Church in Massachusetts
Locations
- Manhattan
- New York
- United States
- Varna
- Bulgaria
- Soviet Bloc
- Tribeca
- Canal Street
- Greenwich Street
- Greenpoint
- Brooklyn
- San Francisco
- California
- Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania
- Washington Heights
- Denver
- Colorado
- Boston
- Massachusetts
- Boston Commons
- Houston
- Texas