The trajectory of Don Gummer's career as a sculptor began in New York City in the
late 1970s with his wall reliefs of painted wood, carefully layered geometric works
exhibiting a strong architectural influence. Moving beyond wood to stone, bronze,
stainless steel, aluminum, and glass as his primary materials, his artworks evolved
into subtly inventive freestanding sculptures, often of monumental scale, that ex-
hibit his unfailing attention to craftsmanship and detail. The Artist Book Foundation
is delighted to present Don Gummer, a new monograph on the artist and his highly
acclaimed body of work.
Gummer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1946 and grew up in Indianap-
olis, Indiana, where he attended the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana
University. He subsequently received both a BFA and an MFA from Yale University's
School of Fine Arts. In a 2001 interview with Peter Plagens, American artist and
art critic, Gummer described his interest in sculpture as ""the recontextualization of
natural phenomena, of unaltered things brought into aesthetic balance by choos-
ing and placing."" Using balance, proportion, and his unique sense of harmony, the
artist is able to make durable materials seem almost buoyant. Negative space
becomes an intrinsic element in his work, imparting a sense that his exquisite,
seemingly permanent forms are ultimately as fleeting as any of nature's creations
would be.
The artist's works can be found in many public collections including the
Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio; the Massachusetts Museum
of Contemporary Art in North Adams, Massachusetts; and Chase Manhattan Bank
and Chemical Bank, both in New York City. He has received a number of awards
from prestigious organizations such as the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation and
the National Endowment for the Arts, and he was Visiting Artist at the American
Academy in Rome. Some of his most recent sculptures appeared around Indianap-
olis in conjunction with his 2016 exhibition, Back Home Again.
Contributions by:
Peter Plagens,
Linda Wolk-Simon,
John Yau
Imprint: The Artist Book Foundation
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 279mm,
Width: 311mm,
Weight: 2.254kg
ISBN: 9780996200790
ISBN 10: 0996200797
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 22 February 2022
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Artist Statement Don Gummer Introduction John Yau Elegant Energy Peter Plagens Plates, Sculpture Don Gummer: Drawings and Sculpture Linda Wolk-Simon Plates, Paintings, Drawings, and Wall Reliefs Acknowledgments Chronology Grants, Fellowships, and Awards Selected Collections, Commissions, and Installations Selected Group and Solo Exhibitions Selected Bibliography Photography Credits
Gummer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1946 and grew up in Indianap-olis, Indiana, where he attended the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University. He subsequently received both a BFA and an MFA from Yale University's School of Fine Arts. In a 2001 interview with Peter Plagens, American artist and art critic, Gummer described his interest in sculpture as ""the recontextualization of natural phenomena, of unaltered things brought into aesthetic balance by choos-ing and placing."" Using balance, proportion, and his unique sense of harmony, the artist is able to make durable materials seem almost buoyant. Negative space becomes an intrinsic element in his work, imparting a sense that his exquisite, seemingly permanent forms are ultimately as fleeting as any of nature's creations would be. Peter Plagens is an artist, art critic, and novelist. From 1989 until 2003, he was the senior writer and art critic for Newsweek magazine. He has received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Arts Journalism Program. He currently writes about art for the Wall Street Journal and ArtForum magazine.
