Richard Serra, the legendary American artist who pioneered the Minimalist movement of the 1960s, has died at age 85. First reported by the New York Times, Serra passed away yesterday in his home in Orient, New York from complications with pneumonia.
Transcending art historical traditions, Serra transformed the boundaries of sculpture by employing unorthodox materials, from fiberglass and rubber early on in his career to his signature use of weathered steel — emblematic of his massive curvilinear sculptures that have exhibited from two retrospective exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York to what some consider his Magnus opus, Band (2006), at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
In a 2011 interview with The Art Newspaper, Serra was quick to avoid notions that his work was about a process of simplification, stating: “I am not interested in the specifics or purity of form, I am interested in what form can do in relation to space and movement, that’s essentially what I’m up to.”
Serra is survived by his wife, Clara Weyergrat and two brothers, Rudolf and Tony Serra.