The art world was saddened today to hear that Chris Burden had passed away at home earlier this morning after an 18 month fight with melanoma. He was 69.
Although probably best known for his iconic Urban Light installation (seen above) at the LACMA, the American artist working in performance, sculpture, and installation art was at his most provocative early in his career with a series of performances where personal danger was the theme including shooting himself in the arm, being kicked down two flights of stairs, starving himself on a deserted beach for 11 days, nailing his hands to a car, and locking himself in a locker for five days. The latest work from the Los Angleles-based artist that we enjoyed personally though was a kinetic sculpture with toy cars, Metropolis II (covered) which can also still be seen at the LACMA. Readers would do well to check these recent works out in person as well as learning more about Burden’s diverse body of work.
Photo via Christopher Knight.
Discuss Chris Burden here.
