Dan Flavin

April 1, 1933 – November 29, 1996

     Dan Flavin was an American Minimalist artist, born and raised in NYC, who created works mostly from fluorescent lights and found objects.  

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Philosophy: 

     Flavin coined the idea that "What you see is what you see" in his art.  He insisted that his works were not symbolic or meant to be transcendent in any way.  Flavin also referred to his assemblages as "propositions" instead of "sculptures" in a way very similar to that of Donald Judd (and his "Specific Objects").  

Materials:

    In the early stages of his art career, Flavin created works of art from objects he found on the streets of New York City (most prominently crushed cans).  His sketches were thought of as abstract expressionist, but his later works in fluorescent lights are unmistakably Minimalist.  At the time in which he was creating his art (in the 1960's and 1970's) fluorescent light tubes were widely available and commercially produced.  Similar to Judd, Flavin believed that working materials for his art should be in their purest forms (directly from a manufacturer, or source).