Pearlstein made a mark on the course of art history by depicting unromanticized views of the human body at a time when such realism was unpopular.
Obituaries
Brian O’Doherty, Paradigm-Shifting Artist and Writer, Dies at 94
Through his groundbreaking concepts of the “alternative art space” and the “white cube,” O’Doherty forged the framework for institutional critique.
Lee Bontecou, Artist of Delightfully Uncategorizable Sculptures, Dies at 91
“I just got tired of sculpture as a big thing in the middle of a room,” the artist once said, adding that she “wanted it to go into space.”
Pierre Soulages, “Painter of Black,” Dies at 102
His oeuvre was an archive of his journey to understand black pigment’s primordial origins and its paradoxical role as a portal to light.
Rodney Graham, Who Bridged the Absurd and Conceptual, Dies at 73
During his more than 50-year-long career, Graham pushed the limits of documentary and fiction.
Art Critic Peter Schjeldahl Dies at 80
With little formal training in art history or practice, Schjeldahl dove into criticism simply out of a passion for art.
Artist Silke Otto-Knapp, Who Made Watercolor “Dance,” Dies at Age 52
The artist and beloved professor of painting and drawing at UCLA’s School of the Arts and Architecture had battled ovarian cancer for two years.
Billy Al Bengston, LA Painter With a Contrarian Streak, Dies at 88
In his hard-edged abstractions, Bengston made the direct center of his paintings the focal point, a cardinal sin according to his art school teachers.
Art Gallerist and Patron Virginia Dwan Dies at 90
Dwan helped pave the way when women-owned galleries were not so easy to find, or run.
Jean-Luc Godard, Who Defined the French New Wave, Dies at 91
The director’s six-decade career was an ever-adapting project to examine cinema’s relationship to the other arts and its inherent aesthetic and moral responsibilities.
Carole Caroompas, Whose Work Challenged the LA Art Scene, Dies at 76
“She dug into what she was fascinated by and obsessed with: things that existed on the periphery, people who didn’t follow the rules,” said one of her friends.
Lourdes Grobet, Iconic Mexican Photographer of Lucha Libre, Dies at 81
Her decades-long devotion to the world of wrestling is all the more noteworthy considering that her father forbade her from attending matches as a child, deeming them an inappropriate pastime for women.