Dennis Oppenheim

Place: Electric City

Born: 1938

Death: 2011

Biography:

Dennis Oppenheim was a conceptual artist, performance artist, earth artist, sculptor, and photographer. Born on September 6, 1938, in Electric City, Washington, he is best known for his innovative and often provocative works that challenged the boundaries of art.

Early Life and Education

Oppenheim's father was a Russian immigrant, and his mother was a native of California. He attended Richmond High school and later studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts, where he met his first wife, Karen Marie Cackett. In 1964, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and an MFA from Stanford University in Palo Alto.

Artistic Career

Oppenheim's early artistic practice was characterized by an epistemological questioning about the nature of art, the making of art, and the definition of art. His work progressed from perceptions of the physical properties of the gallery to the social and political context, largely taking the form of permanent public sculpture in the last two decades of a highly prolific career. Some of his notable works include Indentations, a series of photographs documenting the removal of objects, and Annual Rings, an earthwork that mapped the annual growth of a tree. His body art grew out of his awareness of his own body when executing earthworks, and he is known for his use of his body as both the subject and object in his work.

Notable Works

• Reading Position for Second Degree Burn, a performance piece where Oppenheim lay on a beach for five hours with an open book on his chest, exposing himself to the sun.
• Two-Stage Transfer Drawing, a collaboration with his children, which explored the relationship between the artist and his family.
• Social systems, an earthwork that overlaid social systems on natural systems, creating a seminal site-specific work.

Oppenheim's work can be found in various museums and collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His artistic style is characterized by its use of conceptual art, performance art, and earth art, making him a pioneer in the field. For more information on Dennis Oppenheim, visit California College of Arts and Crafts. To learn more about his work and other artists, check out California College of Arts and Crafts.