MinimalismEarly 1960s-Late 1960s

DevelopmentAbstract Expressionism dominant in the ‘50soExperimental artists separated New York from

ParisoMade New York predominant

Artists began deviating from the pure movementoUsed objects not always associated with artoHad meaning but stronger emphasis on the

medium

InfluencesBauhaus Movement (German)De Stijl Movement (Dutch)Constructivist Movement (Russian)Influential Artists

Bauhaus (1919-1933)German school that combined crafts and fine artAimed to unite creativity and manufacturing for

everyday lifeStressed intellectual and theoretical pursuitsLinked to an emphasis on practical skills, crafts

and techniques of the medieval guild systemoGoal of problem solving for a modern industrial

societyCrafts placed on same level as fine art

De Stijl (1917-1931)Sought to express a new utopian ideal of spiritual

harmony and orderAdvocated pure abstraction and universality by a

reduction to the essentials of form and colorSimplified compositions to vertical and horizontal

directionsUsed only primary colors, with black and white Incorporated geometric shapes of squares,

rectangles, linesPiet Mondrian key contributor

Russian Constructivism Influenced Bauhaus and De Stijl Influenced by Cubism, Suprematism, and FuturismEmphasized modular fabrication and industrial

materials over the craft techniqueRemove traditional artistic concerns and focus with

composition, to replace with ‘construction’oCarry out a fundamental analysis of the materials

and forms of art, leading to the design of functional objects for modern Communist society

Significant OthersMarcel Duchamp - Readymades showed that

sculpture might use a variety of pre-fabricated materials

Barnett Newman – Key in the development of the color field

Ad Reinhardt – Use of geometric shapes and solid colors

Josef Albers - Combine solid color, geometric form and hard-edge

Notable Exhibits Primary Structures: Younger American and British

SculptureoNew York’s Jewish Museum from April 27 – June 12, 1966oOrganized by the Curator of Painting and Sculpture,

Kynaston McShine Systematic PaintingoNew York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1966oOrganized by curator Lawrence Alloway

Green GalleryoNew York, 1964oDonald Judd sculptures and the first light works of Dan

Flavin Leo Castelli Gallery and Pace Gallery

The New America ArtMinimalist Art was developed through these

exhibitsExhibits showcased Geometric Abstractionism with

unique characteristics:oShaped canvasesoColor fieldsoHard-edge painting

CharacteristicsGeometric form, hard-edge painting, solid colors, industrial objects

Avoiding shared traits in all previous movements

Emphasis on the mediumRemoved all self-expressionRemoved the appearance of fine art

Key ArtistsCarl AndreRobert MorrisSol LeWittFrank StellaDan FlavinDonald Judd

Carl Andre Sculptures made from industrial metals, stones, wood, and brick

Emphasis on loose placement and sorting of materials – no fixatives

Often geometric or simple repetitive arrangements

Explores properties of matter

“Sculpture as place”

Carl Andre

Aluminum-Zinc Dipole E/W1989

“What my sculpture has in common with science and technology is an enormous interest in the features of

materials”

Carl Andre

Steel-Aluminum Plain 1969

Carl Andre

144 Graphite Silence 2005

Carl Andre

Stone Field Sculpture 1977

Robert Morris Highly involved with dance and theater in early years

Started with many kinds of mediums, but primarily worked with plywood at his heights

Theoretician of Minimalist art

Emphasis on scale, form, and perception of work

Robert Morris

Cloud - 1964

Robert Morris

Corner Beam - 1964

Robert Morris

Corner Piece - 1964

Robert Morris

Lead and Felt - 1969

Sol LeWittFounding member of Minimalism and Conceptual

artEarly works were basic geometric forms with only

red, yellow, blue, black colorsLater featured more colors and free formWorks include:oWall drawings, paintings, and other 2D creationsoStructures of geometric forms, towers, pyramids

and progressions

Sol LeWitt – BiographyBorn 1928 in Hartford, ConnecticutFamily of Jewish immigrants from RussiaStudied at Wadsworth Atheneum, Syracuse

University and School of Visual ArtsPracticed Old Master painting in EuropeWorked as a graphic designer and spent time at

SeventeenHired at the Museum of Modern ArtTaught at the University of New York and School of

Visual ArtsMoved to Spoleto, Italy, in 1980

Sol LeWitt

Five Modular Structures

“In my case, I used the elements of these simple forms - square, cube, line and color - to produce logical systems. Most of these systems were finite; that is, they were complete using all possible variations. This kept them simple.”

Sol LeWitt

Isometric Projection #13

“Every generation renews itself in its own way; there's always a reaction against whatever is standard.”

Sol LeWitt

Tower

“The artist is seen like a producer of commodities, like a factory that turns our refrigerators.”

Frank Stella - The Man

Contributor for Minimalism and Post-Painterly Abstraction

Born 1936 in Malden, MassachusettsGraduated from Princeton University Influenced by Abstract Expressionism of Jackson

Pollock and Frank KlineDrawn to Newman’s “flatter” surfaces and Jasper

Johns “target” paintings

Frank Stella – The Artist

Moved to New York and reacted against expression in art

Emphasized the picture-as-objectPre 1960: Used these ideas in the Black PaintingsoBasic form and color

Post 1960: Style shifted in Irregular Polygon series and Protractor SeriesoUsing shaped canvases and more colors

Frank Stella

Die Fahne Hoch!

“What you see is what you see”

Frank Stella

Harran II

“The aim of art is to create space - space that is not compromised by decoration or illustration, space within which the subjects of painting can live”

Black Series Irregular Polygon

Before and After

Frank Stella

“[A painting] is a flat surface with paint on it - nothing more”

Dan Flavin•Started out primarily as an Abstract Expressionist•Quickly developed an appreciation for light•Used changes in tone rather than lines in early works•First overt reference to light in an Apollinaire-esque poem•Early works used light, but had meaning behind them

SailDan Flavin

Icon V (Coran’s Broadway Flesh) -1962

the diagonal of May 25, 1963 (to Constantin Brancusi)-1963

Characteristics of the Medium

Reflected light depends on the surfaceAngle affects diffusion in a roomColor can change (red and deep yellow darker)

Completely store-boughtThe color is different from pigmentsEach light is one colorThe pieces all have a limited lifetime

untitled (to Janie Lee) one -1971

untitled (Marfa project)

Abstract Expressionism

Minimalism

What’s the difference?

Abstract Expressionism

• Subjective• Expressive• Action painting• Wild brush

strokes• Drip paintings• Lack of form

Minimalism

• Hard edge painting

• Geometric form• Reduced color• Non-subjective

Minimalism