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Artists›Scott Burton

Scott Burton

1939

Mixed MediaPerformance Art

Representation

None documented

Institutional Exhibitions

Works in Collection

Assets Indexed

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Publications Referenced

90%

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Cultural Positioning

Movements

• Performance Art

Related Artists

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Selected Institutional Exhibitions

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Artist's Choice: Burton on Brancusi

Museum of Modern Art, New York

1989

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An International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture

Museum of Modern Art, New York

1984

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Some Recent Acquisitions: Painting and Sculpture

Museum of Modern Art, New York

1983

About

Why this artist matters now

Scott Burton created monumental furniture sculptures in granite and bronze that functioned as public art installations. His practice merged functionalism with conceptual rigor, transforming utilitarian seating into austere geometric forms that invited physical interaction while maintaining sculptural presence. Working across sculpture and performance, Burton developed a distinctive approach to public space that questioned the boundaries between art object and everyday infrastructure.

Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 25d ago

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Movement

Performance Art

Medium

Mixed Media

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12 in graph

Institutional

Museum Collections

Art Institute of Chicago Museum of Modern ArtNew York Whitney Museum of American Art

Canonical record

Artworks (10)

Perforated Metal Settee and Perforated Metal Chairs

1988 · Aluminum

Settee 33 3/8 x 34 7/8 x 60 1/8" (84.8 x 88.6 x 152.7 cm); each chair 33 1/16 x 24 1/2 x 31 1/4" (84 x 62.2 x 79.4 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Seating for Eight

1985 · African red granite; edition number two of two

Each chair: 81.3 × 45.7 × 86.3 cm (32 1/16 × 18 × 34 in.); 81.3 × 45.8 × 86.4 cm (32 × 18 × 34 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

Low Piece (Bench)

1985 · Himalayan blue granite

43.2 × 121.9 × 45.7 cm (17 × 48 × 18 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

WattsOS

Pair of Two-Part Chairs, Obtuse Angle

1984 · Polished granite

Overall (each): 33 × 24 × 33 in., 5291lb. (83.8 × 61 × 83.8 cm, 2400kg)

Whitney Museum of American Art

Aluminum Chair

1980 · Aluminum, lacquer

76.2 × 59.7 × 177.8 cm (30 × 23 1/2 × 70 in.)

Art Institute of Chicago

Aluminum Chair

1980 · Lacquered aluminum and black paint

28 1/2 x 23 3/4 x 67 1/2" (72.4 x 60.3 x 171.7 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Pair of Rock Chairs

1980 · Stone (gneiss)

49 1/4 x 43 1/2 x 40" (125.1 x 110.5 x 101.6 cm) and 44 x 66 x 42 1/2" (111.6 x 167.7 x 108 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

Child's Table and Chair

1978 · Wood, stainless steel, leather, paint on cushion, and mirror

Table 22 7/8 x 22 x 17" (57.8 x 55.9 x 43.2 cm), chair 28 7/8 x 12 x12 1/8" (73.4 x 30.5 x 30.8 cm)

Museum of Modern Art

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Performance Art

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Institutional

Representation & Collections

In collection

Art Institute of Chicago

In collection

Museum of Modern Art

New York, US

In collection

Whitney Museum of American Art

Record

Exhibitions and timeline

Group Exhibition Artist's Choice: Burton on Brancusi

New York · 1989

Group Exhibition An International Survey of Recent Painting and Sculpture

New York · 1984

Group Exhibition Some Recent Acquisitions: Painting and Sculpture

New York · 1983