The Evolution of a Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Jack Goldstein was a Canadian born artist who moved to Los Angeles as a boy. He received his training at the Chouinard Art Institute and was a member of the inaugural class of the California Institute of the Arts, where he earned an MFA in 1972. His early career was marked by a diverse range of practices, including performance, conceptual art, and experimental film. During the 1970s, he divided his time between Los Angeles and New York City.
As an artist, his work explored various mediums:
Technique and Artistic Focus
Goldstein's paintings often depicted "the spectacular instant," utilizing found photographs of subjects like streaking fighter jets, lightning storms, exploding nebulae, or city skylines. His technique involved blowing up details to near abstraction and hiring painters to apply them to canvases mounted on boxlike stretchers that stand more than six inches off the wall. He was among the first contemporary painters to hire others to execute his works.
His work frequently revolved around the concept of experience and the relationship between an event and its documentation. While he was a key figure in the Pictures Group, he eventually left New York in the early 1990s to return to California, where he lived in relative isolation until his death in San Bernardino.
Questions & Answers
Can I study Jack Goldstein's use of color across all works?
Jack Goldstein's use of color across the works listed on this website can be studied on the artist's Palette Genome page.
How is Jack Goldstein's career divided into periods?
Jack Goldstein's career unfolds period by period on the artist's Chronicle page: a horizontal timeline of the artworks, grouped into career-period chapters.
What are the birthplace and birth year of Jack Goldstein?
Jack Goldstein was born in Montreal in 1945.
How do I find works by Jack Goldstein on a specific theme?
To find works by Jack Goldstein on a specific theme, use the artist's By Keywords page, which groups the artworks by keyword.
