{{Short description|American artist (1944–1984)}} {{Infobox artist | name = Ted Stamm | image = File:Ted Stamm (cropped).jpg | caption = Stamm in 1980 | alt = A black and white photo of Ted Stamm in jeans and dark sunglasses slouched in a director's chair. Stamm has his legs spread far apart and his hands on his chest. | birth_date = {{Birth-date|1944}} | birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, US | death_date = 1984 (aged 39)<ref name="observer" /> | death_place = New York City, US<ref name="observer" /> | movement = Minimalism and conceptualism | known_for = Painting, drawing, street art | alma_mater = Hofstra University | occupation = Painter | website = {{URL|https://tedstamm.com/}} }}
'''Ted Stamm''' (1944–1984)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm's bio on artnet |url=http://www.artnet.com/artists/ted-stamm-2/biography |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=artnet.com}}</ref> was an American minimalist and conceptualist artist.<ref name="nyt">{{Cite news |last=Braff |first=Phyllis |date=February 16, 1986 |title=ART; HONORING A PAINTER OF VISION |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/16/nyregion/art-honoring-a-painter-of-vision.html |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Pincus-Witten on Ted Stamm |url=https://www.artforum.com/print/reviews/201306/ted-stamm-41278 |access-date=2022-06-28 |website=Artforum|date=June 2013 }}</ref>
==Biography== Ted Stamm grew up in Freeport, New York.<ref name="nyt" /> He graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelors of Fine Art,<ref name="nyt" /> and moved to Soho in downtown Manhattan. His studio, located on Wooster Street in Soho, inspired his "Wooster" series of works.<ref name="observer">{{Cite news |last=Heinrich |first=Will |date=April 29, 2013 |title='Ted Stamm: Paintings' at Marianne Boesky |website=The New York Observer |url=https://observer.com/2013/04/ted-stamm-paintings-at-marianne-boesky/ |access-date=2021-11-12}}</ref> Stamm received fellowships in painting from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm |url=https://www.gf.org/fellows/all-fellows/ted-stamm/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref> the Fellowship in Fine Arts in 1983, and from the National Endowment for the Arts.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/NEA-Annual-Report-1981.pdf |title=1981 Annual Report |last= |first= |date=1981 |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |pages=437}}</ref><ref name="nyt" /> During his life he participated in solo and group exhibitions in the United States and worldwide.<ref name="nyt" /> Stamm also taught at the School of Visual Arts, Hofstra University, and the C. W. Post College (now LIU Post).<ref name="nyt" />
He died at the age of 39 due to a congenital heart defect.<ref name="observer" />
== Work == In 1972, Stamm began a series of paintings by revising his earlier lyrically abstract canvases. He called this body of work his "Cancel" series, because it was derived from a rigorous and reductive process of applying black paint in a grid-like pattern to cover up and obfuscate colorful underpaintings.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kwinter |first=Sanford |date=January 1983 |title=Ted Stamm at Harm Bouckaert |work=Art in America}}</ref>
In 1974, Stamm started working with shaped stretchers, introduced the element of line into his paintings and created a new series of work that he continued to develop throughout his life.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shirey |first=David L. |date=March 1, 1981 |title=ABSTRACTION WITH A RELAXED AIR |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/01/nyregion/abstraction-with-a-relaxed-air.html |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm: Woosters {{!}} Exhibitions |url=https://www.lissongallery.com/exhibitions/ted-stamm |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=Lisson Gallery}}</ref> Stamm's explorations with non-traditional canvas shapes and structures reached an apex from 1974 to 1978 with a group of paintings he called his "Wooster" series.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=C. Morgan |first=Robert |date=2018-04-13 |title=From Stasis to Kinesis: The Woosters of Ted Stamm |url=https://artcritical.com/2018/04/13/robert-c-morgan-on-ted-stamm/ |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=artcritical |language=en-US}}</ref>
Consequently, Stamm's work predominantly developed in series, such as the such as the "Dodgers", "Concorde", "Zephyr", and "Designators" series. Although works from these series are formally abstract, they are representations of Stamm's observations of his surroundings and interests.<ref name="nyt" />
The "Wooster" series was influenced by the unique shapes of street contours and intersections that Stamm could see from his studio.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pincus-Witten |first=Robert |date=November 1981 |title=Entries: Styles of Artists and Critics |work=Arts Magazine}}</ref> Critic Robert C. Morgan notes the conceptual novelty of these paintings, which sets them apart from other minimalist and hard edge abstractions: "Given the analytical orientation of the times, many assumed it was based on some complex mathematical derivation; but, in fact, it was quite the opposite. Stamm, being a man of the streets, with bicycle in tow, discovered this abbreviated form one day on the sidewalk near his loft. The fact that he could not decipher its use or origin piqued his curiosity enough to accept it as what might be called an unknown readymade."<ref name=":0" />
The "Dodger" series was inspired by the geometric features of Brooklyn's old trolley tracks, as well as the shape of Ebbets Field, a former Major League Baseball stadium in Flatbush, Brooklyn, which was home of the Brooklyn Dodgers (whose original name was the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zimmer |first=William |date=February 1981 |title=Surely, Temple Black |work=SoHo Weekly News}}</ref>
Stamm began his "Zephyr" series in 1979. These paintings are named after the stream-liner train-sets of the same name. The form of the "Zephyr" paintings alludes to both the physical design and the locomotion of the train. These paintings feature a sleek, black cruciform shape.<ref name="nyt" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Zinsser |first=John |date=2000-06-06 |title=Painter's Journal |url=http://www.artnet.com/magazine/reviews/zinsser/zinsser6-6-00.asp |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=www.artnet.com}}</ref> The long diagonal shaped canvases in the "Concorde" series reference the nose cone of a supersonic airliner.<ref name="observer" /> Stamm's interest in fast-moving modern vehicles was inspired by his academic study of industrial design in college.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bell |first=Tiffany |date=November 1986 |title=Painting Speed |work=Art in America}}</ref>
Stamm was also involved in making a series of street artworks during the mid-1970s, which he called "Designators". Stamm created stencils that reference his previous canvas paintings, and used them to spray paint small, abstract black shapes on New York City buildings and urban objects. He documented these ephemeral works of art via photography.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Brett |date=2011-10-08 |title=Ted Stamm: Paintings at Minus Space |url=https://www.painters-table.com/blog/ted-stamm-paintings-minus-space |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=Painters' Table |language=en}}</ref> In the 1980s, Stamm made "Wooster Designators," which revisited the form of his "Wooster" series paintings, to create red stickers that he affixed to the bumpers and license plates of parked cars.<ref name=":0" />
==Exhibitions== Stamm's first exhibition was his inclusion in the group show, ''Contemporary Reflections'' at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut in 1972.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contemporary Reflections 1971-72 |url=https://thealdrich.org/exhibitions/contemporary-reflections-1971-72 |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum |language=en}}</ref>
Stamm had his first solo exhibition at Artists Space in 1975 at the age of 31.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Heinemann |first=Susan |date=March 1975 |title=Meryl Vladimer and Ted Stamm |url=https://www.artforum.com/print/reviews/197503/meryl-vladimer-and-ted-stamm-69458 |magazine=Artforum |volume=13 |issue=7 |access-date=2021-10-19}}</ref> Later that year, he had his first exhibition in Europe at Galerie December in Düsseldorf, Germany<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Stamm |first1=Ted |title=8 Woosters |publisher=Galerie December |year=1979 |location=Düsseldorf |oclc=78397590}}</ref> and also exhibited at 112 Greene Street.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Grace |first=Trudie |date=1975 |title=Artists Space |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/775914 |journal=Art Journal |publisher=College Art Association |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=323–326 |doi=10.2307/775914 |issn=0004-3249 |jstor=775914|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
In 1977, Stamm was included by curator Manfred Schneckenburger in Documenta 6 in Kassel, Germany<ref name=":0" /> and by curator René Block in the exhibition ''New York – Downtown Manhattan – SoHo'' held at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Block |first=René |title=New York - Downtown Manhattan: SoHo: Ausstellungen, Theater, Musik, Performance, Video, Film, 5. September bis 17. Oktober 1976 |publisher=Akademie der Künste, Berliner Festwochen |year=1976 |location=Berlin |language=de |oclc=690564576}}</ref> Also, in the same year, Stamm was included in ''A Painting Show'' at MoMA PS1 in New York.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Painting Show |url=https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/4022 |access-date=June 10, 2022 |website=Museum of Modern Art}}</ref> In 1978, he exhibited at Hal Bromm's gallery<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=deAk |first=Edit |date=February 1978 |title=Ted Stamm |url=https://www.artforum.com/print/reviews/197802/ted-stamm-68547 |magazine=Artforum |volume=16 |issue=6 |access-date=2021-10-19}}</ref> and was included in the exhibition ''The Detective Show'' at MoMA PS1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Detective Show {{!}} MoMA |url=https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/4061 |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=The Museum of Modern Art |language=en}}</ref> The following year, he was one of six contemporary artists in MoMA PS1's ''New Waves Painting'' exhibition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Wave Painting {{!}} MoMA |url=https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/4103 |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=The Museum of Modern Art |language=en}}</ref> In 1982, Stamm had a solo exhibition of paintings at MoMA PS1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm: Paintings, 1972–1980 {{!}} MoMA |url=https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/4210 |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=The Museum of Modern Art |language=en}}</ref>
== Collections == * The Reading Public Museum<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm - Collection - Reading Public Museum |url=http://collection.readingpublicmuseum.org/search/ted%2520stamm* |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=collection.readingpublicmuseum.org}}</ref> * The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Look Back / New Acquisitons<!-- Sic—the misspelling is in the original. --> |url=https://thealdrich.org/exhibitions/a-look-back-new-acquisitons |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum}}</ref> * Art Gallery of Western Australia<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted STAMM |url=https://collection.artgallery.wa.gov.au/persons/9382/ted-stamm |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=Art Gallery of Western Australia}}</ref> * Brooklyn Museum<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brooklyn Museum |url=https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/artists/7280/objects |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=Brooklyn Museum}}</ref> * Carnegie Museum of Art<ref>{{Cite web |title=CMOA Collection |url=https://collection.cmoa.org/objects/9e58b530-1e8c-474a-8000-be56504c671e |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=Carnegie Museum of Art}}</ref> * The Guggenheim<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/annuart84solo |title=1984 Annual Report |publisher=Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum |year=1984 |pages=18 |lccn=81640665 |oclc=1039513850}}</ref> * Hall Art Foundation<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm - Collection - Hall Art Foundation |url=http://www.hallartfoundation.org/artist/ted-stamm/exhibitions |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=Hall Art Foundation}}</ref> * The Menil Collection<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm, American, 1944 - 1984 - BLW-4 (Black Lo Wooster) - The Menil Collection |url=https://www.menil.org/collection/objects/48202-blw-4-black-lo-wooster |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=The Menil Collection |language=en}}</ref> * Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm |url=https://www.moca.org/artist/ted-stamm |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=The Museum of Contemporary Art}}</ref> * Museum of Modern Art<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ted Stamm {{!}} MoMA |url=https://www.moma.org/artists/5596 |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=The Museum of Modern Art}}</ref> * San José Museum of Art<ref>{{Cite web |title=San José Museum of Art |url=https://sjmusart.org/embark/artist-maker/info/339 |access-date=2021-10-21 |website=San José Museum of Art}}</ref> * Smart Museum of Art<ref>{{Cite web |title=Works {{!}} Ted Stamm {{!}} People {{!}} Smart Museum of Art {{!}} The University of Chicago |url=https://smartcollection.uchicago.edu/people/12633/ted-stamm/objects |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=smartcollection.uchicago.edu}}</ref>
==Publications== * {{cite book |last1=Stamm |first1=Ted |title=Ted Stamm 8 Woosters |publisher=Galerie December |year=1997 |location=Düsseldorf |author-mask=0 |url=https://library.nga.gov/discovery/fulldisplay?vid=01NGA_INST:NGA&docid=alma993756253504896&context=L}} * {{Cite book |last=Stamm |first=Ted |author-mask=0 |title=Ted Stamm DRM 1980. |date=2017 |isbn=978-1-942607-66-3 |location=New York |publisher=Karma |oclc=989037412}} * {{cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Tiffany |last2=Mehring |first2=Christine |last3=Saletnik |first3=Jeffrey |last4=Wasserman |first4=Andrew |last5=Ashley Fox |first5=Elizabeth |last6=Haubro Jensen |first6=Per |year=2023 |title=Ted Stamm Series |location=Berlin |publisher=Hatje Cantz |isbn=978-3-7757-5507-8 |language=de}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bacon |first1=Alex |year=2018 |title=Ted Stamm: Woosters |others=Additional text by Alex Bacon |publisher=Lisson Gallery |isbn=978-0-947830-67-0 |oclc=1046076042}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{Cite book |last1=Bell |first1=Tiffany |last2=Jensen |first2=Per |last3=Hillwood Art Gallery |date=1986 |title=Ted Stamm Painting Advance 1990 |location=Greenvale, N.Y. |publisher=Hillwood Art Gallery, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus |oclc=33143608}} * {{Cite book |last=Frank |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Frank (art critic) |year=1983 |title=Re-dact, An Anthology of Art Criticism. 1 |location=New York |publisher=Willis Locker & Owens |isbn=093027900X}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * [http://www.lissongallery.com/artists/ted-stamm Represented by Lisson Gallery]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stamm, Ted}} Category:1944 births Category:1984 deaths Category:20th-century American male artists Category:20th-century American painters Category:American male painters Category:Burials at Green River Cemetery Category:Hofstra University alumni