Flavin's corner pieces, which emerged as a significant aspect of his oeuvre, encapsulate his minimalist ethos while profoundly engaging with architectural space. Exhibitions such as "European Couples, and Others" showcased Flavin's corner pieces that were not previously exhibited, featuring works executed between 1966-71 using multiple colors including pink, yellow, blue, and variations of white. These works highlight Flavin's dedication to exploring the sculptural vocabulary of light and its interaction with space, positioning the art object in direct conversation with its architectural context (Dia Art Foundation).
The "Corners, Barriers and Corridors" exhibition at David Zwirner further underscored the significance of these themes in Flavin's work, showcasing his commitment to defining and redefining space through light constructions. By employing fluorescent lights in configurations that explicitly implicate their surrounding architecture, Flavin's installations mediate viewers' experiences and perceptions of space. This exhibition revisited thematic elements from a 1973 show at the Saint Louis Art Museum, emphasizing Flavin's innovative approach to creating "situations" of light and color that establish new relationships between art objects and their environments (David Zwirner).
Flavin's work, while often categorized within Minimalism, diverges from the pure abstraction of his predecessors, drawing instead on a cool, rational aesthetic that utilizes industrial materials and neutral geometric forms. His installations, blending elements of sculpture and painting, defy conventional categorizations, extending into the space they illuminate and inviting viewers to experience art in a new dimension (National Gallery of Art).
In summary, Dan Flavin's corner pieces represent a critical exploration of the boundaries between art and architecture, sculpture and painting, object and space. Through his minimalist vocabulary and innovative use of fluorescent light, Flavin not only contributed significantly to the Minimalism movement but also expanded the possibilities of how art interacts with and transforms its surrounding environment.