Marian Zazeela, the avant-garde artist known for her calligraphic drawings, light installations, and performance work, passed away at the age of 83 on March 28th. The MELA Foundation, an interdisciplinary arts institution she co-founded with her long-time partner La Monte Young, confirmed her death.
Born in New York in 1940, Zazeela studied at Bennington College in Vermont before moving to downtown New York in the early 1960s There, she married Young in 1963, marking the beginning of a prolific creative partnership. Zazeela has also been recognized for work she produced alone, including a 2019 solo show at Dia Beacon and a current solo show at Artists Space in New York, on view through May 11th.
Zazeela is best remembered for her 1969 workDream House, a groundbreaking sound and light installation created with Young. The project combined Young’s drone music and Zazeela’s magenta light installation to create an immersive, multi-sensory experience. It has since been staged at multiple locations, including its current iteration at 275 Church Street in Tribeca.
The MELA Foundation, established in 1985, stands as a testament to Zazeela and Young’s commitment to interdisciplinary arts. With its focus on music, visual arts, and the integration of advanced technologies, the foundation fosters creativity and maintains an archive of experimental contemporary works.