Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Arte para la gente: Richard Serra’s royal reward

One of the most famous Latino visual artists of all time was awarded today with Spain’s top art prize.

Avant-garde sculptor Richard Serra was named as the latest winner of the Prince of Asturias prize. A statement on the Prince of Asturias Foundation’s website praised Serra for “his innovative vision of incorporating urban spaces in pieces of art that inspire people to reflect.”

Serra expressed his great pride in being the next recipient of the prize that includes a $63,000 cash award and a sculpture from famed Spanish artist Joan Miro. "The award is particularly meaningful to me in that the country of Spain has offered me many great opportunities to realize my work for over three decades" said Serra on the Foundation’s website.

Serra’s minimalist, large-scale sculptures using metals have been featured worldwide including “Clara-Clara” on Paris’s Place de la Concorde and “Snake” at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. He has received near-universal praise in the art world though his 1981 sculpture “Tilted Arc” in New York’s Federal Plaza was torn down after a public outcry.

Serra has also been involved in video art such as 1968’s “Hand Catching Lead” as well as the below film. 1973’s “Television Delivers People” was produced by Serra and is his critique of commercial and corporate influences in television:

Online Sources- AFP, AP, PBS, YouTube, Bloomberg,

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