Will Insley American, 1929-2011

Will Insley (1929-2011) was an American abstract artist who dedicated 50 years to creating paintings, drawings, writing, models and photomontages based on his investigation of a theoretical civilization and focus on its single metropolis, ONECITY, a labyrinthine structure buried in the central North American plains. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana and a lifelong resident of New York City, Insley received his BFA in Architecture from Amherst College and his MFA in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. From 1974 until his death, Insley lived and worked out of his studio at 231 Bowery, which was home to numerous artists including David Diao, James Rosenquist, Tom Wesselmann, Frances Barth, Harvey Quaytman, and Max Gimblett, and Charles Hinman. Over his lifetime, Insley never utilized his architecture degree in the construction of functional buildings, and instead devoted his pursuit of art through abstract formalities and structural principles. The detailed process of thinking, writing, drawing, and visually communicating his concepts, provided a way for him to challenge the role of the artist during the Minimalist, Conceptual, and Earth Art movements of the 20th century.

​

Will Insley has been the subject of numerous museum exhibitions in the United States and Europe, including a solo exhibition at Guggenheim Museum (1984) and Museum of Modern Art in New York City (1971), as well as inclusion in Documenta 5 (1972) and documenta 6 (1977).

​

Will Insley’s artwork is collected by major institutions and private collectors across the world. His work is reflected in the collection of Brooklyn Museum of Art, Smithsonian Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of Art, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and many others. The Estate of Will Insley is owned, represented, and managed exclusively by Westwood Gallery NYC.