Minimalism

1
Minimalism

• Art Movement
• Mid-20th Century

2
Minimalism

• identity of a subject is exposed through
  eliminating all non-essential forms, features or
  concepts.
• Most economical use of subject matter
  simplicity is key.

3

• "A shape, a volume, a color, a surface is
  something itself. It shouldn't be concealed as
  part of a fairly different whole." - Donald Judd
  

4
Minimalist Goals

• Create objects which avoided the appearance of
  fine art objects
• Remove the appearance of composition from the
  work
• Remove the artists guiding hand or thought
  processes
• Remove aesthetic decisions from the fabrication
  of the object

5
Reactionary Art Movement

• Minimal Art reacted against the symbolism,
  spontaneity, and emotional intensity of Abstract
  Impressionism.
• Saw representation as a distraction wanted
  the viewer to have an individual reaction to the
  work

6
Hard-Edge Painting

• canvas or paper as a field of abstract forms
• Clean lines
• Colorful geometric areas
• Flat surface
• The canvas/paper/print as a unit, a shape on the
  wall
• Color areas are often of one unvarying color.

7
Color Field Painting

• began around 1950, following the initial shock of
  the Action Painters.
• Large Scale paintings
• Viewed close up colors extend beyond and play
  with peripheral vision like viewing a lake or
  ocean
• Viewer can almost feel the sensation of the
  colors themselves

8
Falling Water, Frank Lloyd Wright, Architecture
Uniontown, PA, Minimalism
9
Sinjerli, Variation II, Frank Stella, Offset
Lithograph - inked image is transferred (or
"offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket, then
to the printing surface
10
Untitled, 1949, Alexander Calder, Sheet metal,
wire, paint, Minimalism
11
Colors for a Large Wall 64 Panels, Ellsworth
Kelly, Oil on Canvas, Hard-Edged Painting,
Minimalism