Robert Morris (1931–2018)

Our daily round-up of news from the art world

Robert Morris (1931–2018) | Robert Morris, a pioneer of post-war minimalism, has died at the age of 87. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Morris briefly joined the military and was a student of fine art and philosophy before he turned to sculpture. Often using unconventional materials, such as plywood, dirt and earth, he was also associated with the Land Art movement. He was also a writer and critic and was involved with the Judson Dance Theatre in New York (his first marriage was to Simone Forti) in the early 1960s. Read the New York Times obituary here.

Dealer wins legal battle over fake Leon Golub paintings | A New Hampshire court has ruled that Andrew Hall, who between 2009–11 bought 24 works by Leon Golub that turned out to be fake, will be reimbursed $468,000 plus damages and legal fees – to be paid by Lorettann Gascard and her son Nikolas, from whom he acquired the paintings. At first buying through Christie’s, Hall later bought the forgeries directly through the Gascards, who still maintain that the Golub works are authentic. It was after consulting the Golub Foundation, which had no records the existence of the works, that Hall became suspicious.

Final audit of Documenta finds bigger budget deficit | In September, it was reported that the Kassel-based art fair, Documenta, was close to bankruptcy due to overspending at its 2017 edition, spread across both Kassel and Athens. However, a new audit has revealed that the deficit was miscalculated, and the organisation requires at least €2m more in funding to cover the shortfall of €7.6m.

Nicola Calderón joins Timothy Taylor Gallery New York | Art News reports that Nicola Calderón will be leaving her position at Tina Kim Gallery in Chelsea, to join Timothy Taylor Gallery, New York as a director. Calderón will start her new job immediately.

Recommended reading | Lilah Raptopoulos from the Financial Times visits Alex Katz in his New York Studio to discuss the 91-year-old painter’s long career, Donald Trump, and critical reactions to his work. In the the Guardian Mark Brown reviews an exhibition of Alfred Munnings’s paintings of First World World War battlefields, on view for the first time since 1919 at the National Army Museum in London.