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Art & Language, Eleven Studies for a Secret Painting 1967 Philippe Méaille collection detail
Press release
Montsoreau, Tuesday 23 July 2024
It is with deep sadness that the Château de Montsoreau - museum of contemporary art announces the death of Mel Ramsden, who died in Banbury on Tuesday 23 July 2024 at the age of 79. An internationally renowned conceptual artist and leading member of the Art & Language group, Mel Ramsden leaves behind a major artistic and intellectual legacy that will continue to inspire and challenge.
Born in 1944 in Ilkeston, UK, Mel Ramsden has dedicated his life to exploring the boundaries of contemporary art without compromise or limits. His career has been marked by an innovative and often provocative approach to art-making. By joining the Art & Language collective, Mel Ramsden has helped to redefine the role of the artist and the very nature of the work of art, emphasising critical reflection and intellectual dialogue.
Ramsden began his artistic career in the 1960s, at a time when conceptual art was emerging as a dominant force in the art world.
In 1967 Ramsden moved to New York, where he began an important collaboration with Ian Burn. In 1969 they founded the Society for Theoretical Art and Analyses, a group dedicated to exploring the limits of conceptual art, a movement that seeks to emphasise the idea or concept behind the work of art rather than its aesthetic value. This period was decisive for Ramsden's philosophy and artistic approach.
In 1970, he joined the Art & Language group, founded two years earlier by Michael Baldwin, David Bainbridge, Terry Atkinson and Harold Hurrell. This collective, an unprecedented intellectual laboratory, set out to explore the interactions between art, language, philosophy and politics. Ramsden brought a unique perspective, enriching the group's critical dialogue with his incisive vision and profound questioning.
Art & Language Guaranteed Painting 1967 Philippe Méaille collection
Through works such as the ‘Index’ series and the numerous publications of the journal ‘Art-Language’, Art & Language has influenced generations of artists and thinkers, and Mel Ramsden was a central and invaluable voice.
Outside of his artistic work, Mel Ramsden was a generous and talented thinker. His brilliant mind and dedication to the cause of art and critical thinking left an indelible mark on all those who had the great good fortune to know him.
He is survived by his family, close friends, past and present members of the Art & Language collective, including his great friend Michael Baldwin, and all those who have been touched by his work and vision. Philippe Méaille, founder of the Château de Montsoreau - museum of contemporary art, was one of the great admirers of his artistic work.
His death creates a huge void in the art world, but his legacy will live on through his work and the many lives he enriched with his wit and creativity.
Mel Ramsden, an exceptional artist and thinker, will always be remembered as a pioneer of conceptual art and an inexhaustible source of inspiration. WM
Lara Pan is an independent curator,writer and researcher based in New York. Her research focuses on the intersection between art, science, technology and paranormal phenomena.
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