Gandalf GAVAN
Gandalf Gaván (1975 – 2014)
Born in Berlin, Gandalf lived in Brooklyn and also worked often in Oaxaca, Mexico. He received his BA at Bard College (1998), studied abroad at the Repin Academy of the Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia (1995-6) and did a summer program in sculpture at the Santa Fe Art Institute (1997) and received his MFA from Columbia University, NY (2005), where he also taught for several years as an adjunct professor. His work has been exhibited widely, including in Europe (Manchester, Berlin, Athens, Geneva, London, Barcelona), Beijing, South America, Mexico and throughout the U.S. at both galleries and museums including el Museo Nacional (Mexico City, Mexico), Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College (Winter Park, FL), The Inside-Out Museum (Beijing, China) and PS1 MoMA (NY). His work was represented for many years by Larissa Goldston Gallery (NY), where he had three solo shows (2007, 2010, 2012).
Gandalf participated in residency programs such as Hotel Pupik (Austria), Kiosko (Bolivia) and La Curtiduria (Oaxaca, Mexico) and received several grants and fellowships including from the Joan Mitchell Foundation (2005) and The Nancy Graves Foundation (2012).
Gandalf is most widely known for his ambitious, sculptural installations that often incorporated a wide range of mediums including slumped and blown glass, anamorphic mirrors, neon and found objects. He also worked in photography, printmaking, painting, drawing, carved wood and stone, ceramics, music and almost anything else he came across.
Through his approach to artwork and other projects, Gandalf was dedicated to building community among artists. He was was a founding member ofThe Trinity Project that provided studio space to visual artists in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, he served on the advisory board of La Curtiduría (Oaxaca, Mexico) and curated an exhibition that brought the work of seven artists from New York to a museum in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. He also frequently created artwork through collaborations with other visual artists and artists from other creative disciplines including fashion, music, dance, architecture and writing.