The Easel

22nd November 2022

In Memoriam: Billy Al Bengston (1934–2022)

Editors | Unframed | 14th October 2022

At one time, Los Angeles was an art world “afterthought”. Its now loftier status owes something to Bengston. His early 1960’s minimalist works, often painted with gleaming auto lacquers, referenced biker culture and were early examples of consumer culture influencing fine art. This gave LA credibility with the New York-centric art world. Presumably it was less enthused by Bengston’s later comment that “both racing and art take tenacity, talent, hard work, knowledge and skill”.

15th November 2022

Lee Bontecou, Artist of Delightfully Uncategorizable Sculptures, Dies at 91

Jasmine Liu | Hyperallergic | 9th November 2022

Recognition arrived quickly for Bontecou, on the strength of her unclassifiable sculptural reliefs – bulbous works with fabric stretched across a metal armature. Often, they featured a central black void-like structure. She didn’t help much by way of explanation, stating that these works were “too rich” for minimalism (obvious) but weren’t about “feminist issues”. Over the last decade there has been a revival of interest in her work. A video is here and detailed review here.

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