Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt

A pioneer of kitsch and often considered as a precursor to Jeff Koons, Thomas Lanigan-Schmidt began creating mixed-media collages and sculptures in the 1960s, incorporating reflective materials such as tinsel, colored foils, Mylar, staples, and cellophane to flamboyant effect. Drawings on religious iconography, gilded and bejeweled rodents, and brightly adorned lasagna pans are but a few examples of work that placed him in the coterie of the 1970s “Pattern and Decoration” artists. His best-known work reflects the vibrancy and rawness the East Village scene—in the context of the AIDS crisis, survival and remembrance are recurring themes in Lanigan-Schmidt’s art (and life), and in 2009, the White House honored his commitment to gay rights.