Juan Downey was a Chilean artist who was a pioneer in the fields of video art and interactive art.
13 Facts About Juan Downey
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In 1961, to further his studies and develop his artistic practice, Downey traveled to Europe.
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Juan Downey spent a few months in Barcelona and Madrid, followed by Paris, where he lived for three years studying printmaking at Stanley William Hayter's legendary Atelier 17.
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In 1965, Juan Downey traveled to Washington, DC, at the invitation of the Organization of American States to present a solo show of his work.
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Juan Downey stayed in Washington for a couple of years before moving with his family to New York in 1969.
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Juan Downey was an associate professor of art at the Pratt Institute in New York from 1970 until 1993.
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Juan Downey died in New York on June 9,1993, as a result of cancer.
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In New York, Juan Downey would become involved with the groups Radical Software and Raindance collective, both of them early proponents of using video for artistic and political means.
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Juan Downey is recognized as a pioneer and early adopter of video art, but during his artistic career, he created an extensive body of work that includes electronic and video sculptures, photography, painting, drawing, printmaking, performance, installation, and writing.
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Juan Downey's drawings are especially remarkable and remained a constant practice of his.
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Two seminal series in Juan Downey's career were Video Trans Americas, begun in 1971, and The Thinking Eye, begun in the mid-1970s.
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Juan Downey's work was included in numerous group exhibitions as follows.
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Juan Downey was a Guggenheim fellow in the area of fine arts in 1971.