Dan Flavin (American, 1933-1996)
”monument” on the survival of Mrs. Reppin, 1966
Warm white and red fluorescent light
Norton Simon Museum, Museum Purchase, Fellows Acquisition Fund
© Stephen Flavin/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; courtesy of David Zwirner, New York
Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena unveiled “Plugged In: Art and Electric Light” in September, running through Feb. 17, 2025, and featuring eleven groundbreaking works from the museum’s collections.
On Saturday. Nov. 16, the museum will offer a guided tour of the exhibition, free with museum admission, from 1 to 2 p.m., with space limited to 20 participants on a first-come basis.
A museum educator will discuss how artists experimented with emerging technologies to create works that harness the potential of electricity. Sign-up is required at the Information Desk when the museum opens.
“Plugged In: Art and Electric Light” showcases pioneering pieces including Andy Warhol’s provocative “White Painting,” which employs ultraviolet light to animate a nude female torso.
Artists collaborated with an array of technical specialists, from clockmakers to electrical engineers at Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to push the boundaries of light-based artistic expression.
Dan Flavin’s stark fluorescent installations and Allen Ruppersberg’s immersive “Location Piece” demonstrate how artists transformed commercial materials into compelling environmental sculptures that envelope viewers.
The exhibition coincides with the Getty-led initiative PST Art: Art & Science Collide opening September 2024, contributing to a broader regional exploration of artistic and scientific innovation.
Museum officials note that these interdisciplinary works present unique conservation challenges, raising important questions about preserving technology-dependent art for future generations to experience.
For more information about the exhibit, visit https://www.nortonsimon.org/
