It is with great sorrow that OV Project announces the passing of American artist, Richard Nonas, at the age of 85.
With a background in anthropology, Richard Nonas turned to sculpture in the
mid-60's, becoming one of the leading figures of the Post-Minimalist [removed];
He developed a body of work engaging with space, place and time, trying to create juxtapositions as well as emotional and aesthetic interactions between his sculptures and their [removed];Richard Nonas' deeply sensitive work speaks to both the intellect and the gut. The idea of the place, whether in the form of building or of objects, shifts our perception of the world and the world itself.
In the 70’s, Nonas took part in the Alternative spaces movement, which turned abandoned buildings in New York into exhibition spaces for contemporary art, in particular for conceptual and minimalist practices. His work was part of the inaugural exhibition of the 112 Greene Street in 1970.
He was not only a sculptor, but rather a sculptor of space, atmosphere and consciousness. His work is that of a constant, obsessive and permanent research arising out of our daily lives. His sculptures are an attempt in rebuilding the sense of place, a space as he has experienced during his journey with the North America’s Natives from the South West Plains to Alaska. With his particular use of raw materials (wood, stone, corten steel, etc.), Richard Nonas gave a new perception of an immediate and singular reality that imposes itself universally. His sculptures appear in a place that is situated not in their original locations, but somewhere between an ancestral tradition and contemporary time.
Richard Nonas has exhibited worldwide, creating wall pieces and floor works that range in scale and environment. Amongst his most recent solo exhibitions are: Richard Nonas: all; at once at Fergus McCaffrey, New York, 2019; COL at the Musée Gassendi, Digne-les-Bains, France, 2019 ;The Man in the Empty Space at MASS MoCA, Massachusetts, 2016; Richard Nonas: ridge (out, away, back) at the Art Institute in Chicago, [removed];Swerve (of shore) to bend (of bay,) Galerie Hubert Winter, 2020.
Richard Nonas was one of the instigators behind OV Project, and we were honoured to present his work for the opening show of the gallery in April 2017 and to exhibit his sculptures several times since then.
He is survived by his partner, Jan Meissner, and her son, Stefan Zeniuk, to whom we express our sincere condolences.
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