(American, 1941 – )

Keith Sonnier is one of the most important American, conceptual artists to use light in sculpture, often combining neon and incandescent fixtures with exposed wires, transformer boxes, and found objects to exploit the effect and diffusion of light through various materials and the surrounding architectural space, bringing attention to formal detail while maintaining a spirit of organic process. Early in his career, Sonnier received the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship and first prize in the 9th International Biennial Exhibition of Prints at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. The artist has been twice awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Grant. Since 1968, Sonnier’s work has been the subject of over 100 solo exhibitions in 10 countries including; Museum of Modern Art, NY; the Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; and the Hirschhorn Museum, Washington, D.C. His work has also been included in Documenta, Kassel, Germany, twice at the Venice Biennale and twice at the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial, NY. Keith Sonnier’s work can be found in numerous public collections worldwide including: the Whitney Museum of American Art, NY; the Kunsthalle Nurnberg, Germany; the Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Museum of Modern Art, NY and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA.