East Hudson Valley News

Keith Sonnier's first posthumous institutional exhibition in the United States is set to open on November 8, 2024, at Dia Beacon. This exhibition will showcase pivotal works created by Sonnier between 1968 and 1970, highlighting a transformative period in his approach to sculpture. The display includes key experiments with media using materials such as neon, latex, and flocking. Among the pieces is Dis-Play II (1970), previously exhibited at Dia Bridgehampton.

Jessica Morgan, Dia’s Nathalie de Gunzburg Director, emphasized the significance of Sonnier's work: “Keith Sonnier’s sculptures and installations are emblematic of Postminimalism’s process-oriented approach with an emphasis on responsive, often everyday materials." The exhibition positions Sonnier alongside contemporaries like Robert Morris and Richard Serra.

The works featured were created after Sonnier graduated from Rutgers University in 1966. During this time, he explored industrial materials like cloth and satin along with neon and latex. These elements became crucial to Postminimal art's emergence.

Notable pieces include Rat-Tail Exercise (1968) and Flocked Wall (1969), both demonstrating organic qualities through material manipulation. Untitled (Also: Neon and Cloth) (1968) marks his first use of neon combined with pastel fabric strips. Other significant works are Ba-O-Ba VI (Secondary Triad) and Dis-Play II from his solo exhibition at Castelli Warehouse in 1970.

Jordan Carter, curator and co-department head at Dia Beacon, remarked on the renewed energy brought by this presentation: “Our second engagement with Keith Sonnier...demonstrating how artists were mobilizing the medium of light toward palpably different ends.”

The exhibition is curated by Jordan Carter alongside Min Sun Jeon. Support comes from James L. Cahn and Jeremiah J. Collatz among others.

Keith Sonnier was born in Mamou, Louisiana in 1941 and passed away in Southampton, New York in 2020. His extensive career included various mediums such as drawing, painting, sculpture, performance art, and film.

Dia Art Foundation was founded in 1974 to support ambitious artistic projects beyond traditional museum constraints. It operates multiple sites including Dia Beacon which houses long-term installations focusing on Land art nationally and internationally.