Brian O'Doherty Irish conceptual artist, sculptor, critic and writer. Date of Birth: 04.05.1928 Country: Ireland

1. Early Life and Education
2. Conceptual Art and Criticism
3. Identity and Alter Egos
4. Gallery Interventions and "Inside the White Cube"
5. Mazes and Irish Identity
6. Ogham Sculpture and Ancient Symbols
7. Marcel Duchamp and the Medical Portrait
8. Recent Work and Return to Abstraction

Early Life and Education

Brian O'Doherty was born in Ireland. He received a medical degree (Trinity College, Dublin; Cambridge Medical School) and spent a year working in an oncology ward. He emigrated to the US in 1957 and relocated to New York in 1961.

Conceptual Art and Criticism

O'Doherty quickly gained recognition in the burgeoning conceptual art scene as an artist and critic. As an editor for "Art in America" and an art critic for NBC, he penned numerous influential texts, including "American Masters" and "Inside the White Cube: Ideologies of the Gallery Space."

Identity and Alter Egos

O'Doherty's work explores the boundaries of perception, language, serial systems, and identity. He invented several alter egos, most notably Patrick Ireland, a pseudonym adopted in response to the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre. In 2008, he ceremoniously "buried" Patrick Ireland to symbolize the progress towards peace in Ireland.

Gallery Interventions and "Inside the White Cube"

Beginning in 1973, O'Doherty deconstructed gallery spaces with his "drawings in space" and colored walls, leading to his groundbreaking theoretical treatise "Inside the White Cube" (1976).

Mazes and Irish Identity

Mazes have featured prominently in O'Doherty's work since 1967. Inspired by Joyce's "Finnegans Wake," his labyrinthine installations invited viewers to explore the history and complexities of Irish identity.

Ogham Sculpture and Ancient Symbols

Between 1967 and 1970, O'Doherty created "ogham sculptures." Drawing from ancient Irish ogham script, he merged concept, language, and minimalism in vertical sculptures etched with the words "ONE, HERE, NOW."

Marcel Duchamp and the Medical Portrait

In 1966, Marcel Duchamp posed for an unconventional portrait by O'Doherty. Transforming medical information into art, O'Doherty created portraits that depicted Duchamp's heartbeat as a repetitive motif.

Recent Work and Return to Abstraction

In recent years, O'Doherty has created a series of large-scale paintings inspired by the ancient ogham script. While abstract in appearance, these works are constructed using sequences of the words ONE, HERE, and NOW.