Dike Blair (b. 1952)
Biography
Education
1974 – Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Me
1975 – University of Colorado
1976 – Whitney Museum independent study program, New York
1977 – School of the Art Institute of Chicago; MFA
Dike Blair was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1952. Blair has always been a careful observer of scenes. His paintings of hotel lobbies, full ashtrays, car interiors, and glistening glasses of champagne amount to a compendium of luxury-class still life. His installations tend to capture less rarefied atmospheres: in one early-’90s project, he transformed a gallery space into a corporate waiting room, focusing on the familiar bland decor (mauve carpeting, metal chairs, muzak) that is meant to elicit a sense of comfort.
The artist is also a writer and has been associated with the Paris-based fashion/culture magazine Purple since its inception. A few of years ago the French publication was featured in an exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou whose subject was ostensibly the exploration of dreams, but like Purple itself, the show was really about ambience, the beauty of atmosphere. Blair’s work is rooted in just that sensibility.
Awards
2012 – The Shifting Foundation, Grant
2010-11 – Rome Prize, The American Academy in Rome
2009-10 – John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship
1995 – The Louis Comfort Tiffany Fellowship
1988 – Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation/NEA Regional Fellowship, Works on Paper
Education
1974 – Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Me
1975 – University of Colorado
1976 – Whitney Museum independent study program, New York
1977 – School of the Art Institute of Chicago; MFA
Dike Blair was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1952. Blair has always been a careful observer of scenes. His paintings of hotel lobbies, full ashtrays, car interiors, and glistening glasses of champagne amount to a compendium of luxury-class still life. His installations tend to capture less rarefied atmospheres: in one early-’90s project, he transformed a gallery space into a corporate waiting room, focusing on the familiar bland decor (mauve carpeting, metal chairs, muzak) that is meant to elicit a sense of comfort.
The artist is also a writer and has been associated with the Paris-based fashion/culture magazine Purple since its inception. A few of years ago the French publication was featured in an exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou whose subject was ostensibly the exploration of dreams, but like Purple itself, the show was really about ambience, the beauty of atmosphere. Blair’s work is rooted in just that sensibility.
Awards
2012 – The Shifting Foundation, Grant
2010-11 – Rome Prize, The American Academy in Rome
2009-10 – John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship
1995 – The Louis Comfort Tiffany Fellowship
1988 – Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation/NEA Regional Fellowship, Works on Paper