DEWAIN VALENTINE
DeWain Valentine is a key member of the Light and Space movement, Valentine is distinguished in particular by his in-depth understanding of synthetic materials and his ability to transform these industrial products into artworks that reveal his fascination with light, transparency, reflection, and surface. The artist is best known for his translucent glass (such as Diamond Column in the collection of the Honolulu Museum of Art). He was an early pioneer in using industrial plastic and resin for making monolithic sculptures, though he also frequently employs glass, stone, bronze, and steel. His works are characterized by sleek surfaces, minimalist forms, translucence, and hues that shift in the light. The inspiration for many of his works comes from the sky and sea, capturing what Valentine refers to as “transparent coloured space”.
DeWain Valentine was active in Los Angeles during the emergence of the Light and Space movement, alongside artists Larry Bell, Craig Kauffman, and Ken Price, all of whom he admired. He was an early pioneer in using industrial plastic and resin for making monolithic sculptures, though he also frequently employs glass, stone, bronze, and steel. In fact, there is a commercial resin—Valentine MasKast—named after a plastic that Valentine developed in his own studio in his search of stronger building materials. His works are characterized by sleek surfaces, minimalist forms, translucence, and hues that shift in the light. The inspiration for many of his works comes from the sky and sea, capturing what Valentine refers to as “transparent colored space”.