We learned from Pace Gallery of the passing of artist Lucas Samaras on March 7 at age 87. Pace Gallery writes.
Working in the digital realm long before it was associated with fine art, Samaras pioneered radical new modes of image making throughout his storied career, pushing and redefining the boundaries of portraiture and self-portraiture over the course of seven decades. Centering on the body and the psyche, Samaras’s autobiographical work across photography, painting, installation, assemblage, drawing, textile, and sculpture often meditates on the malleable, shapeshifting nature of selfhood. “I like remaking myself in photography,” the artist once said.
“Wizards are not supposed to die, sorcerers are meant to live forever, but that’s only in fairytales. Our sorcerer, Lucas Samaras, turned out to be surprisingly human. Lasting almost 60 years, my friendship with him was one of the greatest relationships I’ve ever had. We loved each other and worked together, sometimes bickering but always full of admiration for one another. There was nothing we couldn’t say to each other. That’s my loss—our loss—but the work will never be lost. It will keep influencing and energizing the art world for generations to come.” — Arne Glimcher
Samaras joined our program in 1965, and he had his first solo exhibition with our gallery at its West 57th Street space in New York in 1966. Since then, we have presented some 30 exhibitions dedicated to the artist’s work, including his 2022 show, Albums, at our New York flagship.
Pace Gallery
540 West 25th Street
New York, NY 10001
www.pacegallery.com
