in memoriam
John Gage, Art Historian, dies February 10, 2012
A Memorial for John Gage John Gage’s daughter Chas would like to pass on the details for a memorial for John Gage which Eric Shanes and Alex are organising: A celebration of John Gage’s life and work will be held at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art (16 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JA) on Monday May 28, 2012 at 5pm. A formal invitation will be going out in the next few weeks, but we thought you would like to be alerted to the date well in advance. We do very much hope that you will be able to come. If there is anyone you think would like to attend, please let one of us have their name and contact details. Also, we are planning a display of photos of John for the memorial on May 28th. Please send any you wish to include to ericshanes1@gmail.com. With very best wishes, Eric Shanes – ericshanes1@gmail.com Alex Potts – adpotts@umich.edu
Expressions of Condolences
From FRANCE: Nous venons d’apprendre le décès de John Gage, historien d’art et auteur de nombreux ouvrages essentiels sur les couleurs, en particulier “Couleur et Culture. Usages et significations de la couleur de l’Antiquité à l’abstraction”, “La Couleur dans l’art”... Un article du Guardian retrace son parcours. Certains d’entre vous l’avaient rencontré au cours des rencontres AIC et entretenaient avec lui des liens suivis et amicaux. Le CFC ne manquera pas de rendre hommage a cette personnalité essentielle dans le domaine de la couleur. Annie Mollard-Desfour & Laurence Pauliac, Centre Français de la Couleur (CFC), Paris
From AUSTRALIA: John made a very significant contribution and so his memory will live on through the legacy of his many fine books. With kind regards, Ken Smith, Monash University, Victoria
From USA: I had heard from John late last year… He was a dear friend and both the most intelligent and sweetest of men. We managed to get together a number of times and we spent a nice week together in New York one spring when he stayed with us, it was all too little – I will miss him. Sanford Wurmfeld, New York
From PORTUGAL: John Gage’s work is extraordinary and awakens the reader to the appreciation of this complex phenomenon. He left us with writings on the meanings of colour in a broad cultural sense, of colour in art, and paintings of Turner in particular, so vast is his knowledge of colour … In 2009, as a result of the invitation to act as ECD keynote speaker, I had the opportunity to meet John Gage and hear him on those disquieting aboriginal colours he loved. What a wonderful and unique experience ! As I now revisit drawers of my memory in search for the colours he chose to share with us, I recall Gage’s peaceful cadence, contrasting with the previous turmoil of bodies dancing to music or even the aboriginal paintings he was showing: thousands of multicoloured dots flying all over the place, going wild, wild, wild… ancestral movings to mysterious didgeridoo sounds. And yet, it is his quiet peaceful happiness that will endure in my linen drawer… MariaJoao Durao, Lisbon
From AUSTRALIA: Sad news. Margaret Grose, Melbourne
From MEXICO: Siento mucho la muerte de este gran estudioso del color. Por favor si tienes contacto con la familia dale mis condolencias y las de AMEXINC, yo tuve el placer de conocerlo en México. Dra. Georgina Ortiz Hernández, Mexico City