Born in New York City, Dan Flavin served in the U.S. Air Force before studying art history at the New School for Social Research and painting at Columbia University. He began his career in the early 1960s, moving away from traditional painting toward the use of industrial materials.

Flavin is best known for his monuments for V. Tatlin, a series of works utilizing standard fluorescent tubes to explore the intersection of light, color, and architectural space. His practice focused on the transformative power of light to redefine the environment in which it is placed.

His influence remains a touchstone for contemporary discussions on light-based art and geometric abstraction. His work continues to be referenced in major institutional retrospectives exploring the history of 20th-century conceptual and minimalist movements.