Renowned American artist and sculptor Richard Serra passed away at the age of 85 at his residence in Long Island, New York. Serra, celebrated for his transformative large-scale outdoor artworks crafted from rusting steel and other pliable materials, left a lasting impact on the art world.
Originally from San Francisco, Serra initially pursued painting at Yale University before transitioning to sculpting in the 1960s, a shift inspired by his travels in Europe. Often referred to as the 'poet of iron,' Serra gained global recognition for his monumental steel structures, characterized by sweeping arcs, spirals, and ellipses, aligning closely with the minimalist art movement of the 1970s.
One of Serra's notable works, the controversial 'Tilted Arc,' a 120-foot-long and 12-foot-high curving wall of raw steel erected in New York City's Federal Plaza in 1981, sparked both admiration and opposition, ultimately leading to its removal. Despite this setback, Serra's reputation in the art community continued to flourish.
Utilizing materials such as Cor-Ten steel, rubber, latex, neon, and even molten lead for his early 'Splash' series, Serra's creations have been integrated into landscapes worldwide and are featured in esteemed museum collections, from The Museum of Modern Art in New York to installations in Qatar's deserts.
In 2005, the Guggenheim Museum in Spain permanently installed eight of Serra's major works, solidifying his status as a preeminent sculptor. Carmen Jimenez, an exhibition organizer, hailed Serra as 'beyond doubt the most important living sculptor.'
Born to a Russian-Jewish mother and a Spanish father in San Francisco, Serra's artistic journey was influenced by his early experiences at his father's shipyard. Prior to his sculpting career, Serra worked in steel foundries to support his education at the University of California campuses and later graduated from Yale in 1964.
