Mel Bochner, born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1940, is recognized as one of the leading figures in the development of Conceptual art in New York in the 1960s and 1970s. He has lived and worked in New York City since 1964.

Emerging at a time when painting was increasingly discussed as outmoded, Bochner became part of a new generation of artists—including Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, and Robert Smithson – that were looking at ways of breaking with Abstract Expressionism and traditional compositional devices.

Blah Blah Blah: Mel Bochner In His Own Words Directed by Lizbeth Marano 55 minutes/Color/2012 WWW.MELBOCHNERFILM.COM Blah Blah Blah is a documentary portrait of painter and conceptual artist Mel Bochner. Drawing on archival footage, interviews and recent installations, the film traces his work from 1966 to the present day. © MBLM PRODUCTIONS

Work appears in

Museum of Modern Art
Whitney Museum of American Art
Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris

His recent work barrages the senses with a parade of related words that demand attention. In paintings and prints, he blasts the common language of the modern era in capital letters across the surface of his choosing. Though these pieces often provoke an initial response of amusement, even laughter, the viewer is led into a deeper inquiry upon extended viewing. His interest in giving words a physical presence and weight also shows in his monoprints.