April is a bustling month in North Texas as the region hosts The Dallas Art Fair, one of the most prestigious art fairs in the world, and EarthX, the world’s largest annual green gathering held annually over Earth Day.
In the spirit of spring, art, and earth celebrations, we share our most recent inspiration, the pioneering work of British artist John Latham, who challenged the traditional boundaries of art and has inspired new forms of creative expression.
Latham’s work was and is today still, characterized by a highly conceptual approach, utilizing ideas and philosophies to create provocative and often daring pieces. One of his most well-known works is his 1959 “Skoob” (books backward), a piece in which he burned a book to its last second of existence, blurring the line between fleeting and permanence.
Born in Zambia in 1921, Latham’s upbringing was international and packed with diverse cultural influences, which he would later incorporate into his art. After serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, Latham enrolled in art school, eventually becoming a central figure in the British avant-garde scene of the 1960s and 70s.
Throughout his career, Latham sought to blur the lines between art and life, often collaborating with other artists and engaging with the public in non-traditional settings.
Latham’s art has been exhibited in many well-known museums and galleries worldwide, including the Tate Modern, the Whitechapel Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and North Dallas at The Warehouse. His work continues to inspire and challenge contemporary artists and audiences alike.
Sadly, John Latham died on January 1, 2006, at 84. Although he is no longer with us, his legacy lives on as an inspiration to contemporary artists and thinkers worldwide. His artistic vision and daring experiments continue to challenge our perceptions of art and our world.
John Latham was a visionary artist who pushed the boundaries of art and challenged conventional ideas of what art could be. His life and work inspire us all, reminding us of the power of art to challenge our assumptions and transform the world around us.
Upon a recent visit to The Warehouse, our team was deeply moved by Latham’s Great Uncle Estate (1960). The Warehouse is a project initiated by Howard and Cindy Rachofsky and the late Vernon Faulconer to make their collections available to curators, scholars, critics, and students and to open new dialogues about postwar Modern and contemporary art. The project’s heart is an adapted industrial building on 14105 Inwood Road in Dallas, containing art storage facilities, an extensive library, and 18,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space.
The Rachofsky Collection will host a Graduate Symposium at The Warehouse Dallas in November 2023 on the theme of The Event with keynote speaker Dr. Jo Melvin, Professor of Fine Art & Feminisms, University of Arts London. Based on the ideas of British artist John Latham and the Least Event—the smallest moment or action after zero—this symposium will look at six different artists that resonate with Latham’s work through their ideas of time-space, the event, and the moment of creation in art and performance. Graduate students will submit their research on John Latham, Atsuko Tanaka, Giulio Paolini, Michelle Stuart, Shinro Ohtake, and Cheyney Thompson.
The Warehouse is open to the public on the 1st and 3rd weekend of the month on Fridays and Saturdays, 12–5 pm. For more information, visit The Warehouse.
