Untitled (to Barry Mike Chuck and Leonard) 1975

Dan Flavin’s “Untitled (to Barry Mike Chuck and Leonard)” uses commercially available fluorescent light tubes to transform space with color and light. Flavin was part of a generation of artists in the 1960s pushing against traditional art forms, instead embracing everyday materials. The names in the title suggest an intimacy, with Flavin dedicating the work to friends or colleagues, and like a social space, the art invites interaction and connection. As Flavin said, “One might not think of light as a high property material. But it is. Light is life-giving and revelatory.” This work invites a conversation about how art can be made from the most basic elements, and how these elements create meaning, memory, and social bonds. The pink and yellow create a soft, yet intense atmosphere, enveloping you in its glow. This immersive quality reflects Flavin's interest in how art can be an experience, not just an object.