Carl Andre (1935-2024), initially attracted to painting, discovered his true passion for sculpture during a trip to Europe at the age of 19, where he was influenced by the megaliths of Stonehenge and the works of Brancusi. He quickly became one of the proponents of minimalist sculpture, favoring the use of raw materials and abandoning verticality in favor of works integrated naturally into the landscape. The surrounding space thus became the central element of his creations. In addition, he designed modular sculptures placed on the ground, composed of industrial elements. Unlike other artists, his minimalist sculptures were not intended to arouse particular emotions.
Related: The Essence of Minimalism: Refined Simplicity
Throughout his 70-year career, Carl Andre created more than 2,000 sculptures and wrote just as many poems, thus leaving his mark on the art world.
Related: The Provocative Art and Cryptic Death of Ana Mendieta
An established artist since the 1960s, Carl Andre met Cuban artist Ana Mendieta, who was thirteen years younger than him, in 1979 and they married in January 1985. Later that year, on September 8th, an argument in their 34th floor apartment in Greenwich Village, New York, led to the discovery of Ana Mendieta's lifeless body on the roof of a store the next morning. Andre claimed the argument broke out because Mendieta was struggling to come to terms with her husband's publicity, according to Andre's 911 call. Although initially arrested for the murder, Andre was acquitted in 1988 due to lack of evidence. The cause of Ana Mendieta's death, whether it was an accident, suicide or murder, remains unresolved.
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Despite the controversy surrounding the case and criticism from feminist and other groups, Carl Andre received support from many artists and his career continued to flourish. Although Mendieta's death cast a shadow over exhibitions dedicated to Andre, his work was again exhibited in renowned museums beginning in the 1990s. In 2011, he won the Haftmann Prize, given to an artist who has produced work of importance, and in 2013, he participated in the Venice Biennale. He died on January 24, 2024 at the age of 88.
Today, Carl Andre's work is still considered significant and pioneering in his field and is the subject of extensive theorizing about space and form. His sculptures and poetry can be found in important museum collections, such as the Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, the Tate and the Stedelijk Museum and also fetch over $1 million at auction. His record was set in 2019 when his Copper-Steel Alloy Square sold for £2.4 million (about $2.9 million) at Christie's London.
