Lynda Benglis
Biography
Courtsey Image by Justin French for The New York Times
BIOGRAPHY
Represented by Pace Gallery, Lynda Benglis (b.1941) has solidified her place as one of the greats. Born in Louisiana and living in New York City by 1964, she trained as a painter in the Abstract Expressionist vein.
Benglis is an artist who has carved a distinctive path with her unique sculptural works and provocative performances. Raised in a family where her father owned a building materials business, Benglis was naturally drawn to structural and surface materials. This early interest influenced her artistic practice. She received her BFA from Newcomb College in New Orleans then moved to NYC. There, under the mentorship of Reuben Tam at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, she transitioned from traditional canvas-based painting to innovative sculptural forms.
In the late 1960s, amidst the peak of Minimalism, Benglis began experimenting with brightly colored latex and polyurethane, pouring them directly onto the floor to create dynamic, biomorphic forms. Her breakthrough came with her first solo show at the Paula Cooper Gallery in 1970.
Benglis's work during the 1970s also tackled feminist issues, notably through her performance-based videos and a famous 1974 Artforum ad, where she posed nude with a double-headed dildo. This bold move was both a critique of gender norms in the art world and a commentary on the sexualization of women's bodies in media, echoing and confronting the male-dominated art scene.
Her connection to natural landscapes has been a significant inspiration for her work, leading her to split her time between East Hampton, New York, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she has maintained a studio since 1997. The high desert's vastness and geological forms continue to influence her large-scale sculptures, such as the 2018 white bronze piece, "Elephant: First Foot Forward."
Despite her profound impact, it was not until the late 2000s that Benglis's work received the extensive recognition it deserved. She has since been celebrated in numerous retrospectives and solo exhibitions worldwide, including prominent museums like the New Museum in New York and the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens. Now in her later years, Benglis remains as prolific as ever, continuing to explore and push the boundaries of sculpture and installation art.
In the late 1960s, amidst the peak of Minimalism, Benglis began experimenting with brightly colored latex and polyurethane, pouring them directly onto the floor to create dynamic, biomorphic forms. Her breakthrough came with her first solo show at the Paula Cooper Gallery in 1970.
Benglis's work during the 1970s also tackled feminist issues, notably through her performance-based videos and a famous 1974 Artforum ad, where she posed nude with a double-headed dildo. This bold move was both a critique of gender norms in the art world and a commentary on the sexualization of women's bodies in media, echoing and confronting the male-dominated art scene.
Her connection to natural landscapes has been a significant inspiration for her work, leading her to split her time between East Hampton, New York, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she has maintained a studio since 1997. The high desert's vastness and geological forms continue to influence her large-scale sculptures, such as the 2018 white bronze piece, "Elephant: First Foot Forward."
Despite her profound impact, it was not until the late 2000s that Benglis's work received the extensive recognition it deserved. She has since been celebrated in numerous retrospectives and solo exhibitions worldwide, including prominent museums like the New Museum in New York and the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens. Now in her later years, Benglis remains as prolific as ever, continuing to explore and push the boundaries of sculpture and installation art.
Today, the artist resides and creates in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Source: The New York Times
Works
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Lynda BenglisUntitled, 1990sglazed ceramic13 x 15 x 6 inchesunsigned
