George Trakas
George Trakas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1944 (age 79–80) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian and American |
| Education | New York University, B.S., 1969 |
| Known for | Environmental Sculptor |
| Spouse | |
George Trakas is a sculptor who was born in Quebec City in 1944 and has lived in New York City since 1963. Many of his projects are site-specific installations, and he describes himself as an environmental sculptor. He often recycles local materials and incorporates them into his work.[1][2] Trakas taught sculpture at Yale University for 13 years and has also taught at other schools.[3]
Education and honours
[edit]Trakas graduated from Sir George Williams University in Montreal and then went on to earn a bachelor's degree in art history at New York University in 1969.[1] He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1982,[4] a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1989, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Medal for Sculpture in 1996.[5] Emory University awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2011.[3] He also won the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award (2017).[6]
Personal life
[edit]George Trakas married Susan Rothenberg, a painter, in 1971. Their daughter Maggie was born in 1972. They divorced in 1979 but remained close until Rothenberg's death in 2020.[7]
Works
[edit]Notable recent examples of Trakas's work include a waterfront nature walk at the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Brooklyn, New York; another waterfront installation adjacent to the Dia:Beacon museum in Beacon, New York; and public art in the New York City Subway at the Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center station.[8][9]
The following table contains a partial list of works by George Trakas.[10]
| Title | Location | Description | Year | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pont Épée | Thiers, France | Set of walkways and bridges on the Durolle river next to the "Creux-de-l'enfer" | 1985 | [11] |
| Beacon Point | Beacon, New York | Angling deck, boardwalk, & restored bulkhead in Long Dock Park on a 25-acre peninsula adjacent to Dia:Beacon museum | 2007 | [8] |
| The pathway of love | Santomato, Pistoia | A path made of iron and wood that crosses a romantic forest alongside a stream | 1982 | [12] |
| Shoreline Nature Walkway | Brooklyn, New York | Nature walk adjacent to the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant | 2007 | [13] |
| Hook (Archean Reach), Line (Sea House), and Sinker (Mined Swell) | Brooklyn, New York | Public sculpture inside the Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center station of the New York City Subway | 2004 | [9] |
| Reconnections | Belmullet, Ireland | Footbridge across a canal in County Mayo that has since been replaced | 1993 | [14][15] |
| Self Passage | Humlebæk, Denmark | Site-specific sculpture leading to a waterside platform, in the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art's sculpture park. | 1989 | [15][16] |
| Berth Haven | Seattle, Washington | A cedar and steel lakeside deck on the premises of an NOAA facility. Rests on foundations remaining from the site’s prior use as navy airfield. | 1983 | [17][18] |
| Route Source | Atlanta, Georgia | Site-specific sculpture in a wooded area of the Emory University campus | 1979 | [19][20] |
Gallery
[edit]-
The "pont Epée" in Thiers. -
Newtown Creek Nature Walk: "Vessel" entrance -
Newtown Creek Nature Walk: Whale Creek, sewage plant in distance -
Newtown Creek Nature Walk: steps into the water -
Beacon Point, view of entire site, looking westward toward Newburgh, NY. -
Beacon Point, looking northward, showing mouth of channel that runs through the piece. -
Beacon Point, looking eastward, showing other end of the channel. -
Line sculpture in the former control house of the Atlantic Avenue station.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Summit NYC 2011: George Trakas". Municipal Art Society.
- ^ "George Trakas". New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ a b "Art History (newsletter)" (PDF). Emory University Department of Art History. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "George Trakas". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "Award-winning installation artist George Trakas to discuss Hudson River environmental project, Wednesday, April 18, 2007". Vassar College. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "George Trakas :: Foundation for Contemporary Arts". www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
- ^ Kennedy, Randy (21 May 2020). "Susan Rothenberg, Acclaimed Figurative Painter, Dies at 75". New York Times. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ a b "George Trakas, Beacon Point". Dia Art Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ a b "Arts for Transit and Urban Design". Metropolitan Transportaition Authority. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ Complete works
- ^ France, Centre. "Diable, 30 ans ! - Que reste-t-il du Symposium national de sculpture monumentale métallique organisé en 1985 à Thiers ?". www.lamontagne.fr. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ "The path of love". Fattoria di Celle. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ "George Trakas at the Water's Edge: Newtown Creek". Urban Omnibus. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "Reconnections". Tír Sáile Sculpture Trail. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Parc naturel régional du Pilat" (PDF) (in French). art 3. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "The Sculpture Park". Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "NOAA Western Service Center Art Walk" (PDF). City of Seattle. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "Soundscapes". building beyond. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "Environmental artist Trakas returns to Emory". Emory University. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "George Trakas "Source Route"". Emory University. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
