Bas Jan Ader
1942–1975
Introduction
Bastiaan Johan Christiaan "Bas Jan" Ader (19 April 1942 – disappeared 1975) was a Dutch conceptual and performance artist, and photographer. His work was in many instances presented as photographs and film of his performances. He made performative installations, including Please Don't Leave Me (1969).
Ader was lost at sea in 1975, attempting to cross the Atlantic Ocean from the American coast to England sailing in a thirteen-foot sailboat. His deserted vessel was found off the coast of Ireland on 18 April 1976, offering few clues as to his fate.
Wikidata identifier
Q2479548
Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License . Accessed May 29, 2025.
Introduction
Ader moved to the United States in 1963 and studied art at the Otis Art Institute, graduating with a BFA in 1965 and Claremont Graduate School, focusing on art and philosophy, earning an MFA in 1967. He later taught at the University of California, Irvine. He documented his actions with film and photography, using his own body as the subject. In 1975 he attempted to sail from Massachusetts to Falmouth, England as part of a piece he called 'In Search of the Miraculous,' and was lost at sea.
Country of birth
Netherlands
Roles
Artist, conceptual artist, installation artist, performance artist, photographer, video artist
ULAN identifier
500074847
Names
Bas Jan Ader, Basjan Ader, Bastiaan Johan Christiaan Ader, Basjan
Information from the Getty Research Institute's Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License. Accessed May 29, 2025.