Mary Heilmann, Irreverent Abstract Painter, Dies at 86
Mary Heilmann, an influential abstract artist celebrated for her distinctive approach to hard-edged abstraction, passed away at the age of 86 on Long Island due to complications following a fall. She resided in both Bridgehampton and Manhattan and rose to prominence in her late 60s. Originally from California, Heilmann began her career as a ceramicist before transitioning to painting, where she crafted a unique style characterized by unconventional geometric shapes and vibrant neon hues. Her artwork was displayed in prestigious venues such as the Whitney Museum and the New Museum. In other developments, four masterpieces by Antonello da Messina were stolen from a museum in Sicily, and Bryan Joseph Lee has been named deputy commissioner of New York's Department of Cultural Affairs.
Key facts
- Mary Heilmann died at age 86 on Long Island.
- Her studio cited complications from a fall as the cause.
- She was based in Bridgehampton and Manhattan.
- Originally a ceramicist, she turned to painting after moving to New York.
- Her work featured neon-bright colors and off-kilter geometric compositions.
- Exhibitions included the Whitney Museum, New Museum, Dia Beacon, and Whitechapel Gallery.
- Four Antonello da Messina masterpieces were stolen from a Sicilian museum.
- Bryan Joseph Lee was named deputy commissioner of NYC's Department of Cultural Affairs.
Entities
Artists
- Mary Heilmann
- Dean Millien
- Marcel Duchamp
- Antonello da Messina
- Wang Shu
- Julie Schneider
- John Yau
- Jennifer Samet
- Bryan Martin
- Bryan Joseph Lee
- Hakim Bishara
- Jozanne Rabyor
- Peter Voulkos
- Ken Johnson
- Jessica Morgan
- Ben Luke
- Laura Owens
- Jessica Stockholder
- Elizabeth Peyton
- Ron Nagle
- Richard Serra
- Dan Flavin
- Robert Smithson
- Carl Andre
- Ross Bleckner
- Ellsworth Kelly
- Donald Judd
Institutions
- MoMA PS1
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- New Museum
- Dia Beacon
- Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
- Orange County Museum of Art
- Kunstmuseum Bonn
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Museo Interdisciplinare Regionale
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
- RISD
- Pratt Institute
- Vermont Studio Center
- Ningbo Historic Museum
- University of the Arts
- Contemporary Art Museum Houston
- Wexner Center for the Arts
- Hauser & Wirth
- 303 Gallery
- Museum Ludwig
- Stony Brook University
- School of Visual Arts
- Smithsonian's Archives of American Art
- Museum of Modern Art
- National Gallery of Art
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Bonnefanten Museum
- Anonymous Was a Woman
- United States Artists
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Guggenheim Foundation
- Dia Art Foundation
- Tate
- The New York Times
- The Art Newspaper
- Hyperallergic
- University of California, Berkeley
- UC Santa Barbara
- San Francisco State University
- Berkeley
- Bomb magazine
- Max's Kansas City
- Holly Solomon Gallery
- Pat Hearn's Gallery
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- State University of New York at Stony Brook
- Village Voice
- Artlyst
Locations
- Long Island
- Bridgehampton
- Manhattan
- Brooklyn
- New York City
- Sicily
- Italy
- Bonn
- Germany
- London
- United Kingdom
- Ningbo
- China
- Philadelphia
- Rhode Island
- United States
- New York
- California
- Lower Manhattan
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- El Segundo
- Santa Barbara
- Berkeley
- Cologne
- Ohio
- Washington, DC
- Maastricht
- Zürich
- Riverhead
- SoHo
- East Village
- Avenue B
- Meatpacking District
- Hudson River