Untitled ("Monument" for V. Tatlin) 無題（タトリンのための“モニュメント”）

Flavin has consistently produced works that feature fluorescent tubes arranged into simple patterns since 1963. Most of the artists who appreciated the importance of light as a material in art turned to neon tubes because they could be formed into curves to suit their expression, but Flavin, whose main concern was the space, chose the fluorescent tubes. With their simple and clear forms, his works are considered important as embodiments of the Minimal Art esthetics which prizes objectivity. But it is also true that Flavin gives suggestive titles to his work unlike Judd or LeWitt. We find a most typical and easy-to-understand example in the series "Monument’for V. Tatlin" that includes this work. The title makes us think of "The Monument for the First International" by Tatlin, but in addition, we can take it as a sign that Flavin has found a like soul in the Soviet artist who advocated the search for "a true space and a true material" and tried to integrate aesthetic value with industrial technology. In this representative work of the artist, the simple yet effectively constructed form and the uniform whiteness of fluorescent light create even a kind of lyricism.