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Spotlight: Laddie John Dill

GAVLAK West Palm Beach

January 31 - March 1, 2025

Left: Laddie John Dill

Left:
Laddie John Dill
Untitled (Light Sentence), 1969
Argon, hand-colored and clear glass, electrodes, neon wiring, transformer
87 x 1/2 x 1/2 in (220.98 x 1.27 x 1.27 cm)

 

Right:
Laddie John Dill
Light Sentence, 2021
Argon gas, electrodes, transformer, neon wiring
81 x ¹⁄₂ x ¹⁄₂ in (205.74 x 1.27 x 1.27 cm)

Laddie John Dill

Laddie John Dill
Light Sentence, 2021
Argon gas, electrodes, transformer, neon wiring
81 x ¹⁄₂ x ¹⁄₂ in (205.74 x 1.27 x 1.27 cm)

Left: Laddie John Dill

Left:
Laddie John Dill
Light Sentence, 2021
Argon gas, electrodes, transformer, neon wiring
81 x ¹⁄₂ x ¹⁄₂ in (205.74 x 1.27 x 1.27 cm)

Right:
Laddie John Dill
Untitled (Light Sentence), 1969
Argon, hand-colored and clear glass, electrodes, neon wiring, transformer
87 x 1/2 x 1/2 in (220.98 x 1.27 x 1.27 cm)

Laddie John Dill

Laddie John Dill
Firefly, 2018
Argon gas, electrodes, transformer, neon wiring
88 x ¹⁄₂ x ¹⁄₂ in (223.52 x 1.27 x 1.27 cm)

Left: Laddie John Dill

Left:
Laddie John Dill
Untitled (Light Sentence), 1969
Argon, hand-colored and clear glass, electrodes, neon wiring, transformer
87 x 1/2 x 1/2 in (220.98 x 1.27 x 1.27 cm)

 

Right:
Laddie John Dill
Firefly, 2018
Argon gas, electrodes, transformer, neon wiring
88 x ¹⁄₂ x ¹⁄₂ in (223.52 x 1.27 x 1.27 cm)

Left: Laddie John Dill Laddie John Dill Left: Laddie John Dill Laddie John Dill Left: Laddie John Dill

Press Release

Spotlight: Laddie John Dill
GAVLAK West Palm Beach
January 23 – February 22, 2025

GAVLAK is pleased to present a Spotlight on Laddie John Dill, a central figure in the California Light and Space movement. Over a six-decade career, Dill has mastered the interplay between light and substance, transforming industrial materials into ethereal, immersive works. This presentation focuses on his iconic Light Sentences series, first created in 1968, featuring vertical tubes of argon and mercury gas that emit vivid, jewel-toned glows. Marking Dill’s first show in Palm Beach, the presentation reflects his early artistic innovations, his influential role as an educator, and his thoughtful integration of architecture into his sculptures. As noted art critic Ken Johnson has observed, “This suggests that light itself could be a transcendental language... more like trippy visual chamber music.”

About the Artist
Laddie John Dill was born in Long Beach, CA in 1943. He graduated from Chouinard Art Institute in 1968 with a BFA. His work is in the permanent collections of national and international institutions such as Museum of Modern Art, NY; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, CA; Museum of Contemporary Art, CA; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA; High Museum, GA; The Phillips Collection, DC; Chicago Art Institute, IL; Smithsonian, DC; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; Pio Monte della Misericordia, Italy; Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, CA; and Museo Jumex, Mexico. He currently lives and works in Venice, CA where he maintains a studio.

About Spotlight
Spotlight is GAVLAK’s series of focused solo presentations, each designed to illuminate key moments or themes within an artist’s practice. Running alongside the gallery’s regular programming, Spotlight highlights pivotal works and provides a platform for experimental formats, including in situ projects and public installations. By delving deeply into specific facets of an artist’s career, the series expands traditional exhibition models and reimagines how art is experienced and contextualized.

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