Obituary Archives

John Baldessari Conceptual Art Pioneer Dies Age 88

John Anthony Baldessari (June 17, 1931 – January 5, 2020) was an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images.

Terry O’Neill The Photographer Who Defined A Generation Remembered – Chalkie Davies

The world-renowned photographer Terry O’Neill has passed away following a long battle with prostate cancer; He was 81 years old.

John Giorno Multidisciplinary Artist Poet Dies Age 82

John Giorno whose legendary influence as an artist-poet stemming from the expansive and multidisciplinary nature of his work has died age 82.

Robert Frank: Beat Generation Photographer Dead at 94

One of the most influential photographers of the 20th Century, Robert Frank, (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) has died at the age of 94. He never crossed over into celebrity. He’s famous because he made a mark. He collected the world – Nan Goldin Frank was born in Switzerland but emigrated to the United States […]

High-Value Paintings Queue For Export As Sterling Drops In Brexit Uncertainties

An outstanding painting by Claude Monet ‘Le Palais Ducal’ 1908 is at risk of going abroad unless a UK buyer can be found . The picture valued at more than £28 million is one of a number of the artist’s works depicting Venice.

Takis: Kinetic Sculptor Exploring The Gap Between Art And Science Dies

Post-script: This piece was initially intended as a review of the exhibition ‘Takis’Tate Modern. Sadly, since the time of writing the artist has passed away, on the morning of the 9th of August. This piece has subsequently been revised as something of a tribute to a singular figure of contemporary art.

Carlos Cruz-Diez Protagonist Of Kinetic And Op Art Dies

The Franco-Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, born Caracas, 1923 has died in Paris where he lived and worked since 1960. Cruz-Diez was a major protagonist in the field of Kinetic and Optical art, a movement that encouraged “an awareness of the instability of reality.” His body of work established him as one of the critical twentieth-century thinkers in the realm of colour.

Marisa Merz Exponent Of Arte Povera Movement Dies Age 93

Marisa Merz (born 1931, Turin, Italy) the only woman artist closely associated with the Arte Povera movement has died age 93.

Leon Kossoff – 1926-2019 – By Edward Lucie-Smith

As already stated on this site, Leon Kossoff’s death on July 4 marked pretty much the end of an epoch. Of the for artists who led the so-called School of London – Bacon, Freud, Kossoff and Auerbach – only Auerbach now survives.

Leon Kossoff Leading School Of London Painter Dies Age 92

The death of Leon Kossoff, who died on 4 July after a short illness is nearly the end of an era for the great wave of British painting known as the School of London.

I M Pei World Renowned Architect Dies Age 102

The world-renowned architect I M Pei, best known for his iconic design for the Louvre pyramid, has died aged 102.

Nancy Fouts Sculptor Who Reconfigured Commonplace Objects Dies

The artist Nancy Fouts who has died age 74 found herself starting adult life in what, for a girl from Kentucky, must have been the confusing and somewhat alien world of a British finishing school.

Claude Lalanne Fantastical Sculptor And Designer Dies Aged 93

Claude Lalanne best-known for her Surrealist inspired sculptures and Neo-Art-Nouveau bronze furniture and jewelry depicting flowers and playful animals has died in Fontainebleau, at the age of 93.

Paint by Numbers Hobby kit Originator Dan Robbins Dies Age 93

The artist behind ‘Paint-by-Numbers’ hobby kits Dan Robbins has died at age 93. He passed away Sylvania, Ohio. Robbins worked for paint products firm the Palmer Paint Company of Detroit Michigan in the 1940s when he invented the kits. By the 1950s millions were being sold across the US, and it ignited a craze for […]

Agnès Varda Woman At The Heart Of French New Wave Film Dies

Agnès Varda, the woman at the heart of French New Wave, has died age 90. Varda had a sense of humour. In her old age, she introduced herself as a potato. ‘A heart-shaped potato – growing again’ she told those who gathered at the French Institute in New York to learn from her experience in […]

Okwui Enwezor African Born Curator, Critic And Poet Dies Age 55

Okwui Enwezor the Nigerian curator, art critic, writer, poet, and educator has died of cancer age 55. He lived in New York City and Munich. In 2016, he was ranked 28 in the Artlyst Power100 most influential people in the art world, just one year after he was appointed the director the Venice Biennale. “He […]

Carolee Schneemann Pioneering Feminist Artist Dies Age 79

Carolee Schneemann, multidisciplinary artist who transformed the definition of art, especially discourse on the body, sexuality, and gender has died age 79.

Yannis Behrakis Pulitzer Prize Winning Reuters photographer Dies At 58

Like other photographers who work for news agencies, Yannis Behrakis pictures were known through the news, but his name was not familiar to the public.

Warhol Muse Lee Radziwill Sister Of Jackie Kennedy Onassis Dies

Lee Radziwill The socialite sister of Jackie Kennedy Onassis and friend to Pop Artist Andy Warhol has died age 85.

Minimalist Artist Robert Ryman Dead At 88

Robert Ryman, a Minimalist who was known for his white paintings died last week at his home in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. He was 88.

Jonas Mekas Avant-Garde Filmmaker/Influencer Dies Age 96

Jonas Mekas, avant-garde filmmaker, curator and visual art influencer has died at his home in Brooklyn age 96.

Sister Wendy Beckett – A Reminiscence By Revd Jonathan Evens – Artlyst Exclusive

I first encountered Sister Wendy Beckett in the pages of ‘Modern Painters’, the art magazine founded by the art critic Peter Fuller which ‘celebrated the critical imagination; stood up for aesthetic values and had a particular focus on British art.’

Sister Wendy Beckett Art Historian And Carmelite Nun Dies Age 88

The celebrated art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars, the BBC said on their website.

Robert Morris Pioneer Of Minimalism Dies Age 87

Robert Morris, who died this week was a highly influential American sculptor, conceptual artist and writer. He was regarded as one of the most prominent theorists of Minimalism along with Donald Judd, but also made significant contributions to the development of performance art, minimalism, land art, the Process Art movement and installation art. Morris born […]

Mel Ramos: West Coast Pop Artist Dies Age 83

The West Coast Pop Artist Mel Ramos (born July 24, 1935) has died in California, age 83. He was best known as an American figurative painter, specialising in the satirisation of pin-up art. His female nudes, incorporated elements of realism and abstract art. Born in Sacramento, California, to a first generation Portuguese-Azorean immigrant family, he […]

Malcolm Morley Pioneering Photorealist Painter Dies Age 86

The first Turner Prize winner, the painter Malcolm Morley, has died at age 86.

Robert Indiana First Generation American Pop Artist Dies Age 89

The American Pop Artist Robert Indiana has died at his home in Vinalhaven, Maine he was 89. His iconic depiction of the word “love” became one of the most recognisable artworks of the 20th century. It found its way onto hundreds of prints, paintings and sculptures including 330 million postage stamps. Indiana lived in the […]