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Influential Sculptor Robert Irwin Dies at 95, Remembered for Redefining Viewer Perception Through 'Light and Space' Art

The cause of death was heart failure, as confirmed by Arne Glimcher, Founder and Chairman of the international Pace Gallery, which has represented Irwin's work since 1966. With a career that spans over a century, Irwin's work reoriented how viewers perceive space, pushing boundaries within minimalism and abstract expressionism.

Overview

  • Renowned sculptor Robert Irwin, most known for his influential 'Light and Space' art, has passed away at the age of 95 due to heart failure.
  • Irwin's work, representing a critical turning point in minimalism and abstract expressionism, challenged traditional artistic norms by manipulating viewer perception of space using light effects and material like nylon scrims, lighting tubes and wires.
  • His seminal works include the 1970 project for the Museum of Modern Art and Scrim veil—Black rectangle—Natural light for the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1977, which transcended traditional viewer perception by subtly altering spatial awareness.
  • Irwin's later works also pushed boundaries, like the 18-room structure made of fabric walls for New York’s Dia Art Foundation in 1998. He continued to challenge standard linear, sequential viewing experiences by creating non-frontal, immersive spaces.
  • Beyond his gallery works, Robert Irwin also made significant contributions to landscape and architectural art, designing the garden for the Getty Center in Los Angeles, and serving as the designer of Dia:Beacon, a museum in Upstate New York.