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Dan GrahamAmerican contemporary sculptor, photographer and writer.
Date of Birth: 31.03.1942
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Dan Graham
Dan Graham is an American contemporary sculptor, photographer, and writer. He belongs to the younger generation of artists, known as conceptualists, who question the self-sufficiency and isolation of artistic creation and perception, with influences from pop art evident in their works. Graham studied philosophy at Columbia University in New York. In 1969, he taught at the University of California in San Diego, and then until 1971 at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. Currently, Graham lives and works in New York.
Wide Range of Activities
Dan Graham's wide range of activities includes performance art, installations, video, sculpture, and photography. In addition, he has written and published numerous critical materials. His early works consisted of series of photographs and graphics based on sequences. For example, his series of photographs, "Homes for America" (1967-), "Scheme" (1965), "Figurative" (1965), and "Site Effects/Common Drugs" (1966). He then transitioned to more conceptual works, such as the videos "Rock My Religion" (1984) and "Performer/Audience/Mirror" (1975). His installations, like "Public Space/Two Audiences" (1976) or "Yesterday/Today" (1975), led to the creation of pavilions. Conceptual pavilions, such as "Two Way Mirror with Hedge Labyrinth" (1989) and "Two Way Mirror and Open Wood Screen Triangular Pavilion" (1990), contributed to his growing popularity as an artist. Graham's works blur the boundary between sculpture and architecture. His pavilions are metallic and glass sculptures that create different spaces, disorienting the viewer, and merging architecture and art.
Rooftop Urban Park Project
In 1981, Graham began working on a long-term (around ten years) project in New York. The work entitled "Two-Way Mirror Cylinder Inside Cube and Video Salon" became part of the "Rooftop Urban Park Project." Graham collaborated with architects Mojdeh Baratloo and Clifton Balch on this transparent and reflective pavilion, which transformed the roof of 548 West 22nd Street into an enclosed park. The pavilion captures the surrounding landscape and transforms light, creating an intense visual effect. "Two-Way Mirror Cylinder Inside Cube and Video Salon" has become one of his most famous works.
