A key figure of the Light and Space movement that emerged in California in the 1960s, De Wain Valentine created luminous resin sculptures that captured what he referred to as “transparent colored space.” He constructed these towering works using a range of industrial plastics and resins, materials that would reflect light and engage surrounding spaces through their translucent surfaces. Recognized as a major innovator in the use of synthetic materials, Valentine gained vast technical knowledge while working with fiberglass-reinforced plastic in boat building shops and painting automobiles and airplanes. Inspired by the sky and sea, his fascination with light developed into a prolific oeuvre of monolithic forms characterized by sleek surfaces, translucence, and dynamic hues.

–Daniel Mauro, from the Glenstone Field Guide