History, Characteristics, and Artists: What is Minimalism?
What is Minimalism?
Minimalism is an extreme form of abstract art developed in the United States in the 1960s, characterized by artworks composed of simple geometric shapes based on squares and rectangles. Minimalism, or minimalist art, can be seen as an extension of the abstract idea that art should have its own reality and not be an imitation of something else. We usually think of art as representing something in the real world (a landscape, a person, or even a can of soup!) or reflecting on an experience such as an emotion or feeling. With minimalism, no attempt is made to represent an external reality; the artist wants the viewer to respond only to what is in front of them. The medium (or material) from which it is made, and the form of the work, are reality. Minimalist artist Frank Stella said of his paintings, "What you see is what you see."
The development of minimalism
Minimalism is an artistic movement that emerged in the late 1950s, with works by artists such as Frank Stella beginning to move away from the abstractionism of the previous generation. In the following decades, the 1960s and 1970s, it flourished thanks to artists such as Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, Agnes Martin, and Robert Morris. The articles written by these artists helped to understand and develop the artistic movement, which, aesthetically, offered a pure, simple, and harmonious form of representation. The influence of the Russian Constructivists and Suprematists of the 1910s and 1920s can be seen in minimalist artists. Artistic movements that explored the reduction of works of art to their essential structure and the use of factory production techniques became more widely understood—and clearly inspired minimalist sculptors. Dan Flavin produced a series of works entitled Homages to Vladimir Tatlin (begun in 1964); Robert Morris alluded to Tatlin and Rodchenko in his Notes on Sculpture; and Donald Judd's essays on Kazimir Malevich and his contemporaries revealed a fascination with the Russian avant-garde.
Primary Structures at the Jewish Museum
A key point for the minimalist art movement was the group exhibition entitled “Primary Structures”, which featured works by Dan Flavin, Sol LeWitt, Robert Morris, Donald Judd and Tony Smith, at the Jewish Museum in New York in 1966. This exhibition, composed of bare materials with smooth and shiny surfaces, provoked the line of thought that the artist does not need to be a “maker” of art, since the works were not made with their own hands, but it implanted the idea of “artist as designer”.
Mark di Suvero, an artist who participated in this exhibition, commented: “Donald Judd cannot qualify as an artist because he doesn't do the work”, to which Judd replied: “The point is not whether one makes the work or not… I don't see… why one technique is any more essentially art than another…”
Thus, a new way of expressing ideas and space emerged (without any real personal expression) that did not depend on the artist, but rather on the final result. This new way of looking at, creating, and experiencing artworks had an impact in the postwar period and influenced a whole wave of contemporary artists such as Peter Halley, Lorenzo Belenguer, and Sherrie Levine, who are often considered neo-minimalist or neo-geographic artists. These individuals used the foundations of minimalism to critique what Peter Halley saw as the "geometrization of modern life."
Buy Minimalist Art?
Minimalism is an open and easy starting point for anyone interested in starting an art collection. That's why minimalist art is so powerful. The work itself allows you to focus on the most essential and elemental aspects of an object in a way that doesn't depend on the artist's personal expression or particular vision. Minimalist art exists in a variety of forms: painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, design, and more—there are many options when considering incorporating works into your collection or home.
Minimalist art is a perfect addition to any home, as it can add color and vibrancy to any room without being overtly representative or intrusive. Minimalism's simple, hard-edged geometric shapes don't necessarily mean such works are bland. Quite the opposite, in fact. Minimalist art can add a sense of rhythm and repetition within a space and create a fluid flow within it. There are various types and forms of minimalist art, and adding monochromatic works can also help neutralize a space while introducing dimension and clean geometric lines into the home. Minimalist art can bring a sense of calm and add an element of texture to any space.
