13.2 Key Minimalist Artists and Their Approaches

Minimalism in art stripped everything down to its essence. Artists like Donald Judd and Dan Flavin used simple shapes and industrial materials to create powerful sculptures. They wanted viewers to focus on the physical presence of the artwork itself.

Painters like Sol LeWitt and Agnes Martin took minimalism in new directions. They used geometric patterns and subtle colors to create meditative works. These artists pushed the boundaries of what art could be, challenging traditional ideas about painting and sculpture.

Key Minimalist Sculptors

Pioneers of Minimalist Sculpture

Top images from around the web for Pioneers of Minimalist Sculpture

• 

  Dan Flavin and Donald Judd View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Untitled (Stack) (Donald Judd) - Museum of Modern Art - Manhattan NY {juli 2012} | Flickr ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Donald Judd, Ohne Titel (Stack), 1968-69 | Ohne Titel (Stack… | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Dan Flavin and Donald Judd View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Untitled (Stack) (Donald Judd) - Museum of Modern Art - Manhattan NY {juli 2012} | Flickr ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Pioneers of Minimalist Sculpture

• 

  Dan Flavin and Donald Judd View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Untitled (Stack) (Donald Judd) - Museum of Modern Art - Manhattan NY {juli 2012} | Flickr ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Donald Judd, Ohne Titel (Stack), 1968-69 | Ohne Titel (Stack… | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Dan Flavin and Donald Judd View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Untitled (Stack) (Donald Judd) - Museum of Modern Art - Manhattan NY {juli 2012} | Flickr ... View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Donald Judd revolutionized sculpture with his "specific objects" consisting of simple geometric forms
  • Utilized industrial materials like plywood, steel, and Plexiglas
  • Created stacks, progressions, and boxes with precise mathematical relationships
  • Emphasized the physical presence and materiality of the artwork
• Dan Flavin transformed spaces using fluorescent light tubes as sculptural elements
  • Explored color, light, and space through site-specific installations
  • Utilized standard, commercially available light fixtures in various configurations
  • Created immersive environments that altered viewers' perceptions of space

Sculptors Exploring Materials and Space

• Carl Andre focused on floor-based sculptures using raw industrial materials
  • Arranged identical units (bricks, metal plates) in simple geometric patterns
  • Emphasized the inherent qualities of materials and their relationship to space
  • Encouraged viewers to walk on and interact with his works
• Robert Morris experimented with large-scale, simple geometric forms
  • Created L-beams, slabs, and other minimalist structures
  • Explored the relationship between the viewer, the artwork, and the surrounding space
  • Incorporated mirrors and other reflective surfaces to engage with perception

Minimalist Painters and Printmakers

Geometric Abstraction and Systematic Approaches

• Sol LeWitt developed conceptual art and wall drawings based on predetermined systems
  • Created instructions for others to execute his artworks
  • Explored the relationship between idea and execution in art
  • Utilized simple geometric shapes, lines, and colors in complex arrangements
• Agnes Martin painted subtle grid-based compositions with delicate colors
  • Created meditative works inspired by nature and Eastern philosophy
  • Used pencil lines and thin washes of paint to create ethereal effects
  • Emphasized the emotional and spiritual aspects of minimalism

Innovative Techniques in Minimalist Painting

• Frank Stella pushed the boundaries of painting with shaped canvases and industrial materials
  • Developed the "Black Paintings" series with parallel stripes of black paint
  • Created three-dimensional paintings that blurred the line between painting and sculpture
  • Explored color and form in his later works, moving towards more complex compositions
• Ellsworth Kelly (additional example) focused on bold, monochromatic shapes and colors
  • Created hard-edge paintings with precise, flat areas of color
  • Explored the relationship between figure and ground in his compositions
  • Incorporated chance and nature-inspired forms into his minimalist approach

Minimalist Concepts and Exhibitions

Key Exhibitions and Theoretical Foundations

• Primary Structures exhibition at the Jewish Museum in 1966 introduced minimalism to a wider audience
  • Showcased works by emerging minimalist sculptors
  • Emphasized the use of simple geometric forms and industrial materials
  • Helped establish minimalism as a significant art movement
• Specific Objects essay by Donald Judd outlined the principles of minimalist sculpture
  • Rejected traditional categories of painting and sculpture
  • Advocated for art that existed as a "specific object" in space
  • Emphasized the importance of materials, scale, and viewer interaction

Artistic Approaches and Aesthetic Principles

• Serial Art explored repetition and systematic variations in minimalist works
  • Artists created multiple iterations of similar forms or compositions
  • Emphasized the relationship between individual units and the whole
  • Challenged traditional notions of artistic originality and expression
• Geometric Abstraction reduced art to its essential elements
  • Focused on simple shapes, lines, and colors
  • Rejected representational imagery and emotional expression
  • Explored the formal qualities of art and its relationship to space

Minimalist Materials and Techniques

Industrial Materials and Production Methods

• Industrial Materials transformed the aesthetics and production of minimalist art
  • Artists used commercially available materials (steel, aluminum, Plexiglas)
  • Embraced machine-made precision and uniformity
  • Challenged traditional notions of artistic craftsmanship
• Repetition served as a key strategy in minimalist compositions
  • Artists used repeated forms, patterns, or modules
  • Created visual rhythm and explored perception of sameness and difference
  • Emphasized the relationship between individual elements and the whole

Conceptual and Perceptual Approaches

• Modular Units allowed for flexible and adaptable compositions
  • Artists created works from identical or similar components
  • Explored variations in arrangement and scale
  • Emphasized the relationship between part and whole in artistic composition
• Phenomenology influenced minimalist artists' approach to viewer experience
  • Focused on the direct, physical encounter between viewer and artwork
  • Explored how perception changes based on viewer movement and position
  • Emphasized the importance of context and surrounding space in art experience