Mel and Dorothy Tanner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mel Tanner
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| Born | September 26, 1925 |
| Died | October 21, 1993 (aged 68) |
| Occupation | Light artist/installation artist |
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Dorothy Tanner
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| Born | January 30, 1923 |
| Died | July 23, 2020 (aged 97) Aurora, Colorado
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| Occupation | Light artist/installation artist |
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Mel Tanner (born September 26, 1925 – died October 21, 1993) was an American artist. He created art using light, painted, made art installations, and filmed videos. His wife, Dorothy Tanner (born January 30, 1923 – died July 23, 2020), was also an American artist. She made light sculptures, art installations, music, videos, and spoken word art. She lived in Denver, Colorado.
Mel and Dorothy worked together for over 40 years. Their main art project was called Lumonics. It combined their light sculptures with live projections, videos, electronics, and music. It was a complete art experience. An art expert named Michael Betancourt called their work a "total art piece" in his book, The Lumonics Theater: The Art of Mel & Dorothy Tanner.
Contents
Learning to Be Artists
Mel Tanner was a soldier in World War II. After the war, he went to art school. This was possible thanks to the G.I. Bill, a program that helped veterans. He studied painting at the Pratt Institute and the Brooklyn Museum Art School. His teachers included famous artists like Max Beckmann.
When Dorothy first saw Mel's studio in 1950, he painted in a special way. He used a palette knife instead of a brush. He also mixed beeswax with his paint. This made his paintings have cool textures. Later, he painted big, loose shapes on raw canvas.
Dorothy Tanner also studied art. She learned woodcarving and sculpture. She also took life drawing classes. She met Mel Tanner when they were both students. They got married in 1951.
Art Careers Begin (1951-1969)
In 1951, the Tanners moved to Syracuse, New York. They started the Syracuse Art Workshop. Dorothy taught sculpture, and Mel taught painting. They even taught art to kids in a summer program.
Dorothy had a studio in a carriage house behind their home. She worked with wood, clay, and metal. She made large metal sculptures. In 1962, she showed her new sculptures in New York City. Mel also showed his paintings there. Their art shows made them want to move back to Manhattan.
Dorothy later said that the art world in New York in the 1960s was changing fast. New art styles like Pop art were becoming popular.
In 1963, the Tanners moved back to New York City. They opened Granite Gallery, an art space run by artists. They also started the Granite Art Association. This group held talks and art shows. One big event was "The New Face in Art Forum and Exhibition" in 1964. Famous artists like Louise Nevelson took part.
In 1965, they closed their gallery and traveled around Europe.
Discovering Light Art
The Tanners returned to the U.S. in 1966. They stopped in Miami, Florida, to visit family. They decided to open a new art studio there called Grove Studio. This is where they started making their first lighted art.
At the same time, other artists in Los Angeles were also exploring light art. This was called the Light and Space movement. The Tanners were working on their own, away from the art world. This gave them the freedom to create their unique art.
They started using acrylic glass, also known as plexiglass. This is a strong, clear material. They had used it before for art projects for companies. They liked how it let light pass through and showed colors.
In their Miami studio, they made cubes and other shapes that lit up from the inside. Their first show of this new light art was in 1969. It was held at a place that sold high-end stereo equipment. The show was called a "new direction in sound, new directions in environment, and a new direction in art."
Lumonics: A Light and Sound Experience (1969-Present)
Creating light sculptures became their main focus. In 1969, they turned their studio into a theater. They got a "color organ," which could make the light sculptures change with music. They also used slide projectors with their own hand-painted slides, overhead projectors, and strobe lights.
The space was filled with cool things like blow-up furniture and water beds. Mylar, a shiny material, covered the walls. All these elements, along with the light sculptures, created a powerful experience.
A type of light art called Lumia art was also part of their shows. Lumia art focuses on "form, color, and motion in a dark space." The Tanners started making this kind of art around the same time the pioneer of Lumia art, Thomas Wilfred, passed away.
Their art was first called Afterimage. But a reviewer named Dave Robbins called it "Lumonics" in 1970. This name stuck! It was the start of the Lumonics Light and Sound Theatre. The Tanners presented Lumonics in many cities:
- Miami (1969-1979)
- San Diego, California (1980-81)
- Bangor, Maine (1981-82)
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida (1988-2009)
In the mid-1980s, they also had an art show of their light sculptures at a gallery in Florida. A new part of the gallery was even built just for their art.
Lumonics After Mel
After Mel Tanner passed away in 1993, Dorothy continued the Lumonics art. She worked with Marc Billard, a long-time team member. They created new light sculptures, videos, and music.
In 2005, Dorothy put together an exhibit called "The Art of Lumonics." It showed art by both her and Mel. An art writer noted that this was special because it brought their art into a museum.
In 2009, the team moved to Denver, Colorado. They opened Tanner Studio/Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery. Dorothy had many art shows in Denver. She showed her art at the Museum of Outdoor Arts and the Denver International Airport.
In 2015, while her "Creatures from Left Field" show was on, Dorothy was interviewed on the radio. She was one of three older artists who were still very active. The show was about how art can help people stay active as they get older.
In 2017, the Museum of Outdoor Arts had a big show called "Lumonics Then & Now." It looked back at the light sculptures by both Dorothy and Mel. They also made a book and a film about the exhibit. An art critic named Todd Siler said the Tanners' art made him think of other artists who explored new ways of making art.
Awards and New Projects
In 2018, Dorothy Tanner was asked to create a special art installation in downtown Denver. It was called the Lumonics Mind Spa. It was open to the public for several months. That same year, she was nominated for an award for her impact on arts and culture in Denver. She then received the "Excellence in Arts & Culture Innovation Award" from the Denver Mayor.
Also in 2018, Dorothy founded the Lumonics School of Light Art. She and Marc Billard taught students how to build and light up art cubes. These cubes were the first lighted artworks the Tanners ever made. The school was even named the "BEST LIGHT ART INSTRUCTION" by a local magazine.
In 2020, Dorothy and Marc were asked to create another "Lumonics Mind Spa" for a different city. Dorothy Tanner passed away in July 2020.
After Dorothy's passing, the Tanner Studio continued its work. One of Mel Tanner's light sculptures, Multi-Directional, was placed at a large outdoor music venue in 2021. Another of Mel's sculptures, Postscript, is now part of the art collection at Meow Wolf in Denver.
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Art Shows and Places Lumonics Has Been
- Frederic C. Hamilton Family Gallery at Children's Hospital Colorado - Luminaries - Aurora, CO (Nov. 2021-Jan. 2022)
- Gallery at Meow Wolf Denver's Convergence Station, Denver, CO (Sept. 2021-Feb. 2022)
- Light sculpture installation at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, Greenwood Village, CO (August 2021)
- Understudy Gallery, Lumonics Mind Spa: Light Intersection, Denver, CO (Nov. 2020-Jan. 2021)
- Thornton Arts & Culture Center, Lumonics Mind Spa: Thornton, Thornton, CO (June-Sept. 2020)
- The Storefront, Denver, CO, From the Beginning - A Lumonics Light Art Installation, (Nov.-Dec. 2019)
- Gilpin Arts, Central City, CO (Sept. 2019-June 2020)
- Light sculpture installation on Eureka Street in Central City, CO (June-August 2019)
- Museum of Outdoor Arts - Paintings Sculptures & Snapshots: 37 Years of Acquisitions From the MOA Collection (group show), Englewood, CO (May-August 2018)
- McNichols Civic Center Building - Lumonics Mind Spa, Denver, CO (Jan.-July 2018)
- Museum of Outdoor Arts - Then and Now: A Retrospective of Light-Based Sculpture by Dorothy and Mel Tanner, Englewood, CO (2017)
- Museum of Outdoor Arts - Reinventing the Image (group show), Englewood, CO (2016)
- Lakewood Cultural Center - Creatures From Left Field - Lakewood, CO (June 2015)
- Art Gallery at Denver International Airport, A Light Journey, Denver, CO (2014)
- Museum of Outdoor Arts, Light Supply (group show), Englewood, CO (June 2011-Feb. 2012)
- VERTIGO Art Space, The Light Fantastic, Denver, CO (2010)
- Edge Zones Art Center, Wynwood Art District, Miami FL (2007-2008)
- Coral Springs Museum of Art, The Art of Lumonics, Coral Springs, FL (2006)
- Patricia Judith Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida (1986)
- Hi-Fi Associates, Miami, Florida (1969)
- Loeb Center at New York University, The New Face in Art (group show), New York, NY (1964)
- Key Gallery, D. Tanner, New Sculpture, New York, NY (1962)
- Key Gallery, Mel Tanner, New York, NY (1962)
Special Art Projects
- Lumonics Gallery, Black Hawk, CO (Sept. 2019-Feb. 2020)
- Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery, Denver, CO (2008–present)
- Lumonics Mind Spa at The Scarlet, Central City, CO (2016–17)
- Lumonics Light and Sound Theatre, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (1987-2009)
- Lumonics Performing Art Gallery, Bangor, ME (1980–81)
- Lumonics, San Diego, California (1979–80)
- Lumonics Light and Sound Theatre, Miami, Florida (1969–79)
Other Projects
- Zikr Dance Ensemble - Lady of the Lake - (2015)
- WGBH-TV - Sets for Frontline and Nova - Boston, MA (1983)
- WBZ-TV - World map - Boston, MA (1983)
Art for Companies
- Sheraton Hotel, LaGuardia Airport, New York (1978)
- Hilton Hotels, Florida and Grand Bahamas (1978)
- Continental Can, New York, NY (1965)
- General Electric, New York, NY (1964)
- Raytheon Corporation, New York, NY (1964)
- Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, Pennsylvania (1964)
- Datamore, Inc., New York, NY (1963)
- Data Processing, Inc., Rochester, NY (1962)
Media Appearances
- Rocky Mountain PBS Arts District
- South Florida PBS Broward Closeup
- Denver 8, Denver ArtScene
- Colorado Public Radio
Awards and Recognition
- Museum of Outdoor Arts
- "Ecology Through Art" video production, Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA)
- Meow Wolf
- 2018 Denver Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture Innovation Award: Dorothy Tanner produced by Denver Arts & Venues
- The Lumonics School of Light Art was founded by Dorothy Tanner in October, 2018
- Awarded BEST LIGHT ART INSTRUCTION by Denver Westword (2019 Best of Denver Awards)
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