Anthony McCall

Anthony McCall is a British-born American artist known for his 'solid-light' installations, a series that he began in 1973 with his work Line Describing a Cone, where a volumetric form composed of projected light slowly evolves in three-dimensional space. McCall's work occupies a space between sculpture, cinema, and drawing: his installations do not produce objects but rather create ephemeral situations engaging the viewer directly. The 'solid-light' works are projected in darkened, haze-filled rooms, which materialize light and emphasize its physicality. The viewer is invited to engage with the installation, walking through and around the slowly changing shapes of light.

McCall studied graphic design and photography at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design in London. His early works were influenced by minimalist sculpture and the expanded cinema movement of the 1960s and 70s. After a hiatus from art-making in the 1980s and 90s, McCall resumed his practice and expanded his 'solid-light' series to include new digital technologies and more complex forms. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Serpentine Gallery in London, and the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin.

In addition to his 'solid-light' installations, McCall has also worked on film projects, drawings, and photographs that explore similar themes of light, perception, and the experience of space and time. His work is held in the collections of major institutions such as the Tate and the Whitney Museum of American Art. McCall continues to explore the boundaries of visual perception and the materiality of light, making him a significant figure in the fields of installation art and experimental film.