Edwin Shostak

1941 - 2020
Edwin Shostak, August 23rd, 1941 – April 8th 2020, was an American artist working in: sculpture, drawing, performance and social practice . Shostak's work explores postmodernism, and a subversive perspective layered in Queer Theory of Geometric Abstraction, Hard Edge Abstraction and Post-Minimalism.



Born in the Bronx to Jewish parents life in the fifties for an openly gay man was very difficult. Shostak moved downtown in the early sixties to attend The Cooper Union.



Shostak's works were selected for the first Whitney Biennial and exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, The Grand Palais – Paris, The Chrysler Museum, The Delaware Museum of Art The Jacksonville Museum of Art, The Art Museum of South Texas, Sculpture Center, New York, and The School of Visual Arts, among others. Shostak's first solo exhibition was at the Fischbach Gallery followed by Leo Castelli and the Holly Solomon galleries. Shostak was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.



Shostak's work often derives from deconstructed, botanical patterns - utilizing florals or paisleys reduced to a minimalist form populated into a cacophony of serial replications. These works were first realized as floor scatter pieces and would later be situated on a lattice structures. Shostak made drawings with double entendre texts and his drawing practice would include works that would span over a decade in the making.



Shostak's art forms also included social practice and performance, he performed as Rose Royale (after Duchamp's Rrose Sélavy). Rose mentored many young people in the LBGT community and documented their stories. An active AIDS activist, Shostak also reached out to those affected on individual levels.



Family and friends are grateful to the kind, loving care of the NYPD and the dedicated team, especially Dr. Kim, at Mt Sinai Beth Israel. After speaking with friends and family, Shostak died peacefully on April 8th 2020 from the Corona Virus.



Shostak is survived by his sister Mindy Carlisle, and an extended family of choice. In memorial, it is requested to either clap outside your window at 7pm in appreciation of the heroic health care workers, and send any donations to Mt Sinai Beth Israel Hospital. https://giving.mountsinai.org/site/

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. An online memorial will be held June 6, (https://www.facebook.com/events/258

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), all welcome.