Keith Sonnier

1941 Born Mamou, Louisiana, United States of America

1959–63 Studies Art and Archaeology, receives Bachelor of Arts from University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette

1963–64 Moves to France to paint

1965 Returns to United States of America

1966 Receives Masters of Fine Arts from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey; moves to New York City, New York ; solo exhibition, at Douglas College, Rutgers University

1968 Solo exhibition, at Galerie Rolf Ricke, Cologne, West Germany

1969 Begins to use neon as primary medium; included in exhibition, New methods: new media; Museum of Modern Art, New York

1970 Exhibition at Stedelijk Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven, The Netherlands; included in exhibition, Information, at Museum of Modern Art, New York City; Annual exhibition, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City

1971 Creates New Delhi sound piece incorporating speakers, microphones, and amplifiers; solo exhibition, Projects, at Museum of Modern Art, New York City

1973 Completes Video still series of five screenprints at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles; included in Biennial exhibition, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City; Some recent American art, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

1974 Receives John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship; exhibits Radio mix at Leo Castelli Gallery, New York City; wins First Prize Tokyo prints biennale, Japan

1975 Completes multi-media project at Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles (includes wax-coated screenprint, and LP records with album covers); included in Dokumenta 5, Kassel, West Germany; Sculpture: American directions 1945–75, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

1978 Exhibits Porte-voix audio installation at The Clocktower, New York City

1979 Interested in public communications – researching and commandeering a satellite system to create Send-receive, between New York City and San Francisco; solo exhibition, at Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, France

1983 Solo exhibition, at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York City

1984 Travelling exhibition originating at Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan; included in exhibition, Neon fluorescent & Cie, Institut Superieur pour l'Etude du Langage Plastique, Brussels, Belgium; Gemini G.E.L.: art and collaboration, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

1986 Included in exhibition, Temporary/contemporary, at Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California

1988 Solo exhibition, Keith Sonnier: neon sculpture, at Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Virginia; included in exhibition, Sculpture since the sixties, organised by the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City

1989 Solo exhibition, at Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC

1990 Solo exhibition, Expanded file series: 69–89, at Städtisches Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, Germany; included in exhibition, The new sculpture: between geometry and gesture, at Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City

1993 Travelling exhibition, Keith Sonnier: werke/works, at Sprengel Museum, Hannover, Germany; included in exhibition, Gravity and grace: The changing condition of sculpture: 1965–1975, at Hayward Gallery, London, England.

2020 Keith Sonnier died in Southhampton, New York

Barbara Delano © Tyler Graphics Ltd., revised Kate Buckingham, 2006
This chronology provides an overview of selected biographical information, major solo and group exhibitions held within the artist's own lifetime.