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Dan Flavin is famous for his light sculptures made with simple,
readily available fluorescent tubes. From 1964 to 1990 he worked on a series of
'monuments' as a tribute to the Russian constructivist artist Vladimir Tatlin
(1885-1953). Flavin's multi-step composition is reminiscent of Tatlin's
Monument to the Third International; a colossal spiral building that was
intended to be erected in Russia in the nineteen twenties. Flavin regards
Tatlin as his predecessor due to his revolutionary use of modern, industrial
materials. His homage, however, is not without irony; he also realizes that
Tatlin had no success in communist Russia. Flavin's 'monument' is an imposing
work, as it fills the entire space with light. Like the other works from the
series, it consists of three components: the fluorescent tubes, their
arrangement on the wall or in the space, and the artificial light, whether
coloured or not. This work from 1968 is one of the earliest in the series.
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