Wolfgang Laib

Evanescence is a hallmark of much of the art associated with 1970s postminimalism, but nowhere more so, perhaps, than in the work of German artist Wolfgang Laib. His sculptures, noted for their use of natural materials, have included a pure white slab created by pouring a thin layer of milk atop a large tile of marble, as well as various enigmatic objects and installations made of beeswax. But he is best known for sand carpets of finely sifted hazelnut pollen, like this installation transforming MoMA's atrium into a vast expanse of canary-colored pigment.