Keith Sonnier, pioneer of neon sculpture, dies at 78
On July 18, 2020, Keith Sonnier, a prominent figure in Minimalism, passed away in Southampton, New York, following a prolonged illness. He was born in Mamou, Louisiana, in 1941 and completed his BA at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1963, later obtaining an MFA from Rutgers University in 1966. Since 1968, he became renowned for his use of neon tubes. His significant works include a 2002 installation at Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie and Motordom (2004) in Los Angeles. Sonnier was featured in documenta 5 and the Venice Biennale. Noteworthy exhibitions include Keith Sonnier: Neon at the Hirshhorn Museum in 1989 and a retrospective at Galleria Fumagalli in Milan in 2018, showcasing various series from his career.
Key facts
- Keith Sonnier died July 18, 2020 in Southampton, New York at age 78
- He was a leading Minimalist alongside Richard Serra and Bruce Nauman
- He pioneered neon tubing in sculpture starting in 1968
- Born in Mamou, Louisiana in 1941
- Earned BA from University of Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette (1963) and MFA from Rutgers University (1966)
- Created 2002 neon installation for Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin
- Created Motordom (2004) at Caltrans District 7 Building in Los Angeles
- Participated in documenta 5 (1972) and Venice Biennale (1972, 1982)
- Solo shows at Hirshhorn Museum (1989), Centre Pompidou (1979), MoMA (1971), Kunsthaus Bregenz (2000)
- Included in When Attitudes Become Form (2013) at Fondazione Prada, Venice
- 2018 retrospective at Galleria Fumagalli, Milan
Entities
Artists
- Keith Sonnier
- Richard Serra
- Bruce Nauman
- Germano Celant
- Mies van der Rohe
- Annamaria Maggi
Institutions
- University of Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette
- Rutgers University
- Neue Nationalgalerie
- Caltrans District 7 Building
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou
- Museum of Modern Art
- Kunsthaus Bregenz
- Fondazione Prada
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Hall Foundation
- Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (MAMAC)
- DIA/Dan Flavin Institute
- Parrish Art Museum
- Galleria Fumagalli
- Artribune
Locations
- Southampton
- New York
- Mamou
- Louisiana
- Lafayette
- Berlin
- Los Angeles
- Washington, D.C.
- Paris
- Bregenz
- Austria
- Venice
- London
- Vermont
- Nice
- Bridgehampton
- Water Mill
- Milan
- Italy