Mel Bochner, 1940-2025
Mel Bochner was a conceptual artist who was best known for creating artworks using words. He died on February 12. He was 84.
His artwork was brainy and forbidding early on in the 1970s. But he was successful right from the beginning of his career and over time he made art that wealthy patrons were eager to buy. The largest Mel Bochner piece I ever saw was “Win!” hanging in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Bochner licensed this image to the Cowboys organization which made inexpensive merchandise out of it. A Mel Bochner “Win!” cap has become a major part of my wardrobe since I picked it up. I’ll wear it today as a tribute to the artist.
I heard about Bochner’s death from an Instagram post by Dana Frankfort, a Houston artist who, like Bochner, produces artwork out of words. She took a class from Bochner some 30 years ago and reproduced a hand-written reading list he provided for the class in her post about his death. A moving tribute from a student to departed teacher. I wonder how many word-based artists working today were students of Bochner?
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RIP!
Thanks, Robert, did not know of this fellow's work. R.I.P. Mel!