Minimalism
THE OBJECT IS THE ART
Do simple paintings and sculptures of cubes and pyramids transport you to another realm and inspire fantastic ideas? Probably not, and for Minimalists, they’re not supposed to. The sparse, geometric forms of the Minimalist movement are intentionally impersonal and meant only to be judged as objects at face value. Frank Stella once said of his paintings, “What you see is what you see.”
WHEN & WHERE
c. 1960–1975
USA
Often viewed as a reaction to the pretensions of the Abstract Expressionist movement, Minimalism attempted to reduce art to its literal and fundamental elements, omitting unnecessary colors, lines, and textures. Minimalist paintings, sculptures, and installations were often large and confrontational with sterile and often repetitive objects that challenged the viewer to consider them as absolute “things.” Mathematically composed forms were homogeneous, with no focal points. Several artists had their work manufactured, further eliminating any presence of the artist’s hand or emotions.
Minimalism, also known as ABC Art, was very controversial at first, its blank forms attacked as banal and vacant. However, the movement became pervasive throughout the art world and the 1966 “Primary Structures” exhibit solidified its status as a force to be reckoned with. It branched out into the Light and Space movement, morphed into Post-Minimalism, and became the gateway for the highly cerebral movement called Conceptual Art. Though many viewers find the Minimalist penchant for pure aestheticism difficult to relate to, its concept was bold, daring, and eternal in its simplicity. —ARR
Selected artists: Carle Andre, Dan Flavin, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt, Robert Morris, Ad Reinhardt, Richard Serra, Tony Smith, Frank Stella