"RANDOMNESS IS THE TREASURE." - WILLIAM ANASTASI 

We celebrate Mattress Factory alumni William Anastasi who passed away this week at 90.

Anastasi created seven site-specific works at Mattress Factory. Two of these works remain On View at Mattress Factory since the 90's. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

William Anastasi is one of the founders of both Conceptual and Minimal Art - relevant works were made before the movements were named. These works, starting in 1961, include Relief and Microphone, among the earliest examples of Conceptual Art.

Between 1963 and 1966, we have Sink - a clear demonstration of entropy - and Issue and Trespass - important forerunners to an entire class of works involving deconstruction. Sink (which combines his Conceptual and Minimal approaches) and En Route, are among the earliest forays into Minimal Art.

Holding that after Duchamp there was no earthly reason why a blind man could not be an artist, his unsighted drawings were also started in 1963. His 1966/67 Six Sites broke the ground for an entire genre of exhibitions under the rubric Site Specific.

Underlying his practice is his sense that the only thing that interests him about taste is that it is always changing.

WILLIAM ANASTASI'S WORKS AT MATTRESS FACTORY

UNTITLED (CALISTHENIC SERIES) - ON VIEW SINCE 1997

TRESPASS - ON VIEW SINCE 1991

APRIL 15, 1989, 32 MINUTES, 4B - 1989

JANUARY 13, 1989, 10 MINUTES, 6B - 1989

ONE GALLON HIGH GLOSS INDUSTRIAL ENAMEL, POURED ON AN INCISION - 1989

ONE GALLON HIGH GLOSS INDUSTRIAL ENAMEL, THROWN - 1989

Articles on Anastasi's Passing

ARTnews - William Anastasia, Conceptualist Who Drew A Cult Following, Dies at 90

Artsy -William Anastasi, a prominent Conceptual artist, has died at 90.