Richard Serra

Richard Serra

Richard Serra (November 2, 1938 – March 26, 2024) was an American artist known for his large-scale abstract sculptures made for site-specific landscape, urban, and architectural settings, whose work has been primarily associated with Postminimalism. Described as "one of his era's greatest sculptors", Serra became notable for emphasizing the material qualities of his works and exploration of the relationship between the viewer, the work, and the site. Serra pursued English literature at the University of California, Berkeley, before shifting to visual art. He graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1961, where he met influential muralists Rico Lebrun and Howard Warshaw. Supporting himself by working in steel mills, Serra's early exposure to industrial materials influenced his artistic trajectory. He continued his education at Yale University, earning a B.A. in Art History and an M.F.A. in 1964. While in Paris on a Yale fellowship in 1964, he befriended composer Philip Glass and explored Constantin Brâncuși's studio, both of which had a strong influence on his work. His time in Europe also catalyzed his subsequent shift from painting to sculpture. From the mid-1960s onward, particularly after his move to New York City in 1966, Serra worked to radicalize and extend the definition of sculpture beginning with his early experiments with rubber, neon, and lead, to his large-scale steel works. His early works in New York, such as To Lift from 1967 and Thirty-Five Feet of Lead Rolled Up from 1968, reflected his fascination with industrial materials and the physical properties of his chosen mediums. His large-scale works, both in urban and natural landscapes, have reshaped public interactions with art and, at times, were also a source of controversy, such as that caused by his Tilted Arc in Manhattan in 1981. Serra was married to artist Nancy Graves between 1965 and 1970, and Clara Weyergraf between 1981 and his death in 2024. From 1968 to 1979 Serra made a collection of films and videos. Although he began working with sculpture and film at the same time, Serra recognized the different material capacities of each and did not extend sculptural problems into his films and videos. Serra collaborated with several artists including Joan Jonas, Nancy Holt, and Robert Fiore, on his films and videos. His first films, 'Hand Catching Lead' (1968), 'Hands Scraping' (1968) and 'Hand Tied' (1968) involve a series of actions: a hand tries to catch falling lead; pairs of hands move lead shavings; and bound hands untie themselves.

  • Title: Richard Serra
  • Popularity: 0.861
  • Known For: Directing
  • Birthday: 1938-11-02
  • Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As:
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Richard Serra Movies

  • 1975
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    Keep Busy

    Keep Busy

    1 1975 HD

    The protagonists’ astounding verbal gymnastics and often incomprehensible interactions tend to descend into nonsense, and with the syncopated...

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  • 1985
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    Home Movies 1971-81

    Home Movies 1971-81

    1 1985 HD

    Home movies shot on Super 8mm by W+B Hein over 10 years.

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  • 2007
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    A Film Portrait of Richard Serra

    A Film Portrait of Richard Serra

    1 2007 HD

    "Film Portrait of Richard Serra was shot during the making of The Camera: Je but I felt that the footage showed such complicity between Richard and...

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  • 1968
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    Hand Catching Lead

    Hand Catching Lead

    8 1968 HD

    Echoing the vertical movement of the film through the projector, pieces of sheet lead fall into the image field. Serra’s hand opens and closes...

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  • 1968
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    Hands Scraping

    Hands Scraping

    8 1968 HD

    In "Hands Scraping" we see two male pairs of hands, those of Serra and Phil Glass, sweeping up steel filings strewn on the wooden floor with their...

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  • 2008
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    Richard Serra: Man of Steel

    Richard Serra: Man of Steel

    1 2008 HD

    Sculptor and giant of modern art Richard Serra discusses his extraordinary life and work. A creator of enormous, immediately identifiable steel...

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  • 1971
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    Color Aid

    Color Aid

    10 1971 HD

    Like the three "Hands" films by Richard Serra (1968), the subject of "Color Aid" are fingers as actors of real time activity. Monochrome colour cards...

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  • 2007
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    Here Is Always Somewhere Else

    Here Is Always Somewhere Else

    6 2007 HD

    The life and work of enigmatic Dutch/Californian conceptual artist Bas Jan Ader, who in 1975 disappeared under mysterious circumstances at sea in the...

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  • 2002
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    Cremaster 3

    Cremaster 3

    6.5 2002 HD

    CREMASTER 3 (2002) is set in New York City and narrates the construction of the Chrysler Building, which is in itself a character - host to inner,...

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  • 2018
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    On The Wings of Brancusi

    On The Wings of Brancusi

    1 2018 HD

    Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957), the most important sculptor of the first half of the 20th century, has been a fascinating and enduring influence on...

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  • 1978
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    Masters of Modern Sculpture Part III: The New World

    Masters of Modern Sculpture Part III: The New World

    1 1978 HD

    The Masters of Modern Sculpture series concludes with a look at post- World War II America, where sculpture became a deeply innovative art form....

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  • 2010
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    How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster?

    How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Foster?

    7.6 2010 HD

    The film traces the rise of one of the world's premier architects, Norman Foster, and his unending quest to improve the quality of life through...

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  • 1968
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    Hand Catching Lead

    Hand Catching Lead

    8 1968 HD

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  • 1973
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    Television Delivers People

    Television Delivers People

    10 1973 HD

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  • 1974
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    Boomerang

    Boomerang

    1 1974 HD

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  • 1968
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    Hands Scraping

    Hands Scraping

    8 1968 HD

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  • 1976
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    Railroad Turnbridge

    Railroad Turnbridge

    10 1976 HD

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  • 1971
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    Color Aid

    Color Aid

    10 1971 HD

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  • 2013
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    The Making of Amarillo Ramp

    The Making of Amarillo Ramp

    5 2013 HD

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  • 1969
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    Frame

    Frame

    10 1969 HD

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  • 1968
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    Hands Tied

    Hands Tied

    10 1968 HD

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  • 1968
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    Hand Lead Fulcrum

    Hand Lead Fulcrum

    1 1968 HD

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  • 1969
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    Tina Turning

    Tina Turning

    1 1969 HD

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  • 1971
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    Paul Revere

    Paul Revere

    1 1971 HD

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  • 1971
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    Anxious Automation

    Anxious Automation

    1 1971 HD

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  • 1972
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    China Girl

    China Girl

    1 1972 HD

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  • 1973
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    Surprise Attack

    Surprise Attack

    1 1973 HD

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  • 1974
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    Match-Match Their Courage

    Match-Match Their Courage

    1 1974 HD

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  • 1974
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    Prisoner's Dilemma

    Prisoner's Dilemma

    10 1974 HD

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  • 1979
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    Steelmill/Stahlwerk

    Steelmill/Stahlwerk

    10 1979 HD

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  • 1971
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    Veil

    Veil

    1 1971 HD

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  • 2004
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    Kulturplatz

    Kulturplatz

    6 2004 HD

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