Art Industry Deaths 2020 – In Memoriam – Artlyst
In Memoriam Art Industry Deaths. Here is a roundup to honour the artists, curators and designers that passed away in 2020.
2 January 2021
Obituary
David Medalla Multidisciplinary Filipino Artist Dies Age 78
The multidisciplinary artist, David Medalla b.1942 in the Philippines, has died age 78.
29 December 2020
Art Critic Barbara Rose Dies – Damien Hirst’s Personal Instagram Tour – 2020 Cultural Gifts Scheme Revealed
Art Critic Barbara Rose Dies – Damien Hirst’s Personal Instagram Tour – 2020 Cultural Gifts Scheme Revealed
28 December 2020
Robert Bechtle First Wave American Photorealist Painter Dies Age 88
Robert Bechtle who has died age 88 was an American painter and printmaker born in San Francisco in 1932. He lived all his life in the Bay Area. His practice focused on snapshots from everyday life, mostly his own life.
26 September 2020
Sir Terence Conran Designer And Design Museum Founder Dies
Sir Terence Conran, designer, philanthropist and founder of the Design Museum, has passed away, Saturday 12 September, he was 88 years old.
12 September 2020
Frank Dunphy Damien Hirst’s Financial Advisor And Manager Dies Age 82
Frank Dunphy, the man behind Damien Hirst and many leading YBAs financial success has died age 82.
30 August 2020
Christo Artist Who Wrapped The Reichstag Dies Age 84
The sad news that the larger than life artist Christo passed away aged 84 was announced on his website on 31 May.
31 May 2020
Artist Susan Rothenberg Has Died Age 75
The American contemporary painter, printmaker, sculptor, and draughtswoman Susan Rothenberg has died age 75. She was best known for her iconic images of horses in which she melded abstraction with representation.
19 May 2020
Germano Celant Arte Povera Champion Dies From COVID19 Aged 80
Germano Celant (1940-2020) the Italian art historian, critic and curator who coined the term ” Arte Povera ” (poor art) in 1967 has died from complications due to the COVID19 virus, age 80.
29 April 2020
Sue Davies Founder Of The Photographers’ Gallery Dies Aged 87
Sue Davies, who founded The Photographers’ Gallery in London’s Covent Garden in 1971 has died age 87.
23 April 2020
Paul Kasmin Formative Contemporary Art Dealer Dies Age 60
The London-born dealer PAUL KASMIN (1960–2020) has died in New York after a protracted illness. The gallery released the following statement.
24 March 2020
Ulay: Marina Abramović Creative Collaborator Dies
Frank Uwe Laysiepen, AKA Ulay, Conceptual artist and long-term creative partner of Marina Abramović, has died age 76. Born in Germany and based in Ljubljana since 2009.
2 March 2020
John Baldessari Conceptual Art Pioneer Dies Age 88
John Anthony Baldessari (June 17, 1931 – January 5, 2020) was an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images.
5 January 2020
Terry O’Neill The Photographer Who Defined A Generation Remembered – Chalkie Davies
The world-renowned photographer Terry O’Neill has passed away following a long battle with prostate cancer; He was 81 years old.
17 November 2019
John Giorno Multidisciplinary Artist Poet Dies Age 82
John Giorno whose legendary influence as an artist-poet stemming from the expansive and multidisciplinary nature of his work has died age 82.
13 October 2019
Robert Frank: Beat Generation Photographer Dead at 94
One of the most influential photographers of the 20th Century, Robert Frank, (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) has died at… Read More
10 September 2019
High-Value Paintings Queue For Export As Sterling Drops In Brexit Uncertainties
An outstanding painting by Claude Monet ‘Le Palais Ducal’ 1908 is at risk of going abroad unless a UK buyer can be found . The picture valued at more than £28 million is one of a number of the artist’s works depicting Venice.
10 August 2019
Takis: Kinetic Sculptor Exploring The Gap Between Art And Science Dies
Post-script: This piece was initially intended as a review of the exhibition ‘Takis’Tate Modern. Sadly, since the time of writing the artist has passed away, on the morning of the 9th of August. This piece has subsequently been revised as something of a tribute to a singular figure of contemporary art.
10 August 2019
Carlos Cruz-Diez Protagonist Of Kinetic And Op Art Dies
The Franco-Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, born Caracas, 1923 has died in Paris where he lived and worked since 1960. Cruz-Diez was a major protagonist in the field of Kinetic and Optical art, a movement that encouraged “an awareness of the instability of reality.” His body of work established him as one of the critical twentieth-century thinkers in the realm of colour.
29 July 2019
Marisa Merz Exponent Of Arte Povera Movement Dies Age 93
Marisa Merz (born 1931, Turin, Italy) the only woman artist closely associated with the Arte Povera movement has died age 93.
22 July 2019
Leon Kossoff – 1926-2019 – By Edward Lucie-Smith
As already stated on this site, Leon Kossoff’s death on July 4 marked pretty much the end of an epoch. Of the for artists who led the so-called School of London – Bacon, Freud, Kossoff and Auerbach – only Auerbach now survives.
7 July 2019
Leon Kossoff Leading School Of London Painter Dies Age 92
The death of Leon Kossoff, who died on 4 July after a short illness is nearly the end of an era for the great wave of British painting known as the School of London.
6 July 2019
I M Pei World Renowned Architect Dies Aged 102
The world-renowned architect I M Pei, best known for his iconic design for the Louvre pyramid, has died aged 102.
17 May 2019
Nancy Fouts Sculptor Who Reconfigured Commonplace Objects Dies
The artist Nancy Fouts who has died age 74 found herself starting adult life in what, for a girl from Kentucky, must have been the confusing and somewhat alien world of a British finishing school.
27 April 2019
Claude Lalanne Fantastical Sculptor And Designer Dies Aged 93
Claude Lalanne best-known for her Surrealist inspired sculptures and Neo-Art-Nouveau bronze furniture and jewelry depicting flowers and playful animals has died in Fontainebleau, at the age of 93.
11 April 2019
Paint by Numbers Hobby kit Originator Dan Robbins Dies Age 93
The artist behind ‘Paint-by-Numbers’ hobby kits Dan Robbins has died at age 93. He passed away Sylvania, Ohio. Robbins worked… Read More
4 April 2019
Agnès Varda Woman At The Heart Of French New Wave Film Dies
Agnès Varda, the woman at the heart of French New Wave, has died age 90. Varda had a sense of humour. In her old age, she introduced herself as a potato.
30 March 2019
Okwui Enwezor African Born Curator, Critic And Poet Dies Age 55
Okwui Enwezor the Nigerian curator, art critic, writer, poet, and educator has died of cancer age 55. He lived in… Read More
15 March 2019
Carolee Schneemann Pioneering Feminist Artist Dies Age 79
Carolee Schneemann, multidisciplinary artist who transformed the definition of art, especially discourse on the body, sexuality, and gender has died age 79.
7 March 2019
Yannis Behrakis Pulitzer Prize Winning Reuters photographer Dies At 58
Like other photographers who work for news agencies, Yannis Behrakis pictures were known through the news, but his name was not familiar to the public.
3 March 2019
Warhol Muse Lee Radziwill Sister Of Jackie Kennedy Onassis Dies
Lee Radziwill The socialite sister of Jackie Kennedy Onassis and friend to Pop Artist Andy Warhol has died age 85.
16 February 2019
Minimalist Artist Robert Ryman Dead At 88
Robert Ryman, a Minimalist who was known for his white paintings died last week at his home in Greenwich Village in Manhattan. He was 88.
13 February 2019