American sculptor, conceptual artist, and writer Robert Morris, one of the founders of minimalism sculpture, has died in Kingston, New York, from pneumonia at the age of 87.Morris was born in 1931 in Kansas City.  He studied art at Kansas City Art Institute and the California School of Fine Arts. In the early stage of his carrier, he was attracted to Abstract Expressionism and was also interested in performance arts. He moved to New York City in 1960. In 1962 he staged the performance ‘Column’ at the Living Theater in New York. Here he became interested in downtown art scene of the city and developed a style called minimalism. He liked to use plywood, which was cheap and easy to use. However, his style could not attract critic’s appreciation, though it was popular. He believed that the environment is a very important part of creation of art and wrote a number of articles on his theories. By the late 1960s his work featured in gallery and museum exhibitions and he was considered one of the most prominent contributors of minimalist theories. His radicalism drew many criticisms but he undeniably was a pioneer of modern art.However, his practice was not limited to minimalism as he embraced many different styles. During the later parts of the 1970s he shifted to figurative work, his creations reflected the shadow of nuclear war and the threat to mankind. In 1977, he created the Robert Morris Observatory in the Netherlands, which was inspired by the English pre-historic sites like the Stonehenge, which identifies the solstices and the equinoxes.  One of his 1971 creations consisting of a series of beams, weights, tunnels and ramps was presented in 2009 by Tate Modern titled ‘Bodymotionspacethings’. It was earlier rejected by the press as “no more than a child’s playground”, it now is appreciated as a modern performative art which involves viewers’ participation.Morris’ last public appearance was at the opening of the exhibition of his recent work «Banners and Curses», which is on display at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City. The exhibition will be on through January 25, 2019.https://www.blouinartinfo.com/              Founder: Louise Blouin Read more