Hollis Taggart is saddened to announce the passing of artist Audrey Flack on June 28 at age 93. A pioneering artist whose fierce spirit and brilliance helped shape the history of post-war American art, Flack lived a life fully consecrated to the making of art. As she noted in her memoir published a few months ago: “the history of art became my history; the making of art, my truth; and the essence of art, my religion.” Flack was prodigiously creative and productive right up until her passing, and this year alone saw profiles of Flack published in Vogue, New York Magazine, New York Times book review, ARTnews, and Artnet.

“We mourn the loss of a true artistic legend who left an indelible mark on the history of American art,” said Hollis Taggart. “Audrey's boundless creativity defined her career which spanned seven decades. . . Her acclaimed memoir, published only months before her passing, reveals her true spirit and her ability to overcome all obstacles and achieve her ambitious goals. She will be dearly missed.”

Flack first came to artistic maturity among the vibrant downtown scene of Abstract Expressionism, the details of which she meticulously recounted in her memoir. As a precocious teenager studying art at the Cooper Union, she was introduced to luminaries like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Franz Kline, but eventually began to move away from Abstract Expressionism and its questionable social dynamics to forge her own style. An early feminist and a single mother of two children, one with autism, Flack began merging her expressionistic style with figurative elements, finding figuration more conducive to her lived experiences even though it went against the prevailing trends of the time. In the 1960s and 1970s, Flack helped pioneer the style of Photorealism, becoming the first Photorealist painter whose work was purchased by the Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection. In the 1980s, Flack focused on sculpture and most recently, she explored merging pop cultural references and Old Masters iconography in a style she called “post-pop baroque.”

As we mourn Audrey Flack’s passing, we also celebrate her rich legacy and extraordinary body of work. Undeterred by commercially viable trends of the time and single-mindedly focused on bringing forth her evolving visions of art, Flack held a special ability to transfigure the world into miraculous objects of art.

“Audrey Flack, artist whose massive New York statue of a British ‘slaver’ queen was melted down – obituary." The Telegraph, July 7, 2024

"Audrey Flack, Creator of Vibrant Photorealist Art, Dies at 93." Will Heinrich for The New York Times, July 3, 2024.

"Audrey Flack, a pioneer of Photorealism, has died, aged 93." Torey Akers for The Art Newspaper, July 3, 2024.

"The Remarkable Legacy of Artist and Feminist Audrey Flack, Dead at 93." Samantha Baskind for Smithsonian Magazine, July 3, 2024.

"AUDREY FLACK (1931–2024)." Artforum, July 2, 2024.

"Audrey Flack, a pioneer of Photorealism, dies at 93." Maxwell Rabb for Artsy, July 2, 2024.

"Trailblazing Photorealist Audrey Flack Dies at 93." Rhea Nayyar for Hyperallergic, July 2, 2024.

"Audrey Flack, painter, sculptor and photorealist pioneer, dies at 93." Harrison Smith for The Washington Post, July 1, 2024.

"Audrey Flack, Photorealist Who Painted with Exacting Detail, Dies at 93." Alex Greenberger for ARTnews, July 1, 2024.

"Audrey Flack, the Pioneering Photorealist Who Elevated the Everyday, Dies at 93." Sarah Cascone for Artnet, July 1, 2024.