Jo Baer, minimalist abstraction pioneer and radical figuration artist, dies at 95
Jo Baer, a highly regarded American artist known for her sharp minimalist pieces and later her innovative 'radical figuration,' has died at 95. Pace Gallery shared the news on Wednesday. Born in Seattle in 1929, she studied biology at the University of Washington and earned a psychology graduate degree from the New School for Social Research. Baer began her artistic journey in Los Angeles from 1957 to 1960 before moving to New York, where she exhibited alongside notable artists like Frank Stella and Donald Judd. A major retrospective of her work was held at the Whitney Museum in 1975. Eventually, she relocated to Ireland, England, and Amsterdam in 1984, and in the 1980s, she coined the term 'radical figuration.' Samanthe Rubell from Pace Gallery called her a 'visionary painter' who transformed the concept of painting. In 2013, Terry R. Myers highlighted her unique approach to blending verbal and visual art in ArtReview.
Key facts
- Jo Baer died at age 95.
- Pace Gallery announced her death on Wednesday.
- Baer was born in 1929 in Seattle.
- She majored in biology at the University of Washington and studied painting and drawing.
- She earned a graduate degree in psychology from the New School for Social Research.
- She began her career as an abstract artist in Los Angeles from 1957 to 1960.
- Her hard-edge paintings made her a key figure in the minimalist art scene in New York.
- Her works were exhibited alongside Frank Stella, Donald Judd, and Dan Flavin in the 1960s.
- She had a mid-career retrospective at the Whitney Museum in 1975.
- She moved to Ireland, England, and then settled in Amsterdam in 1984.
- She coined the term 'radical figuration' in a letter to Art in America in 1983.
- Samanthe Rubell, president of Pace Gallery, praised Baer as a 'visionary painter.'
- Terry R. Myers wrote about Baer in ArtReview in 2013.
Entities
Artists
- Jo Baer
- Frank Stella
- Donald Judd
- Dan Flavin
- Samanthe Rubell
- Terry R. Myers
Institutions
- Pace Gallery
- University of Washington
- New School for Social Research
- Whitney Museum
- Art in America
- ArtReview
Locations
- Seattle
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Ireland
- England
- Netherlands
- Amsterdam