

In 1966, the Jewish Museum in New York held an exhibition called "Primary Structures," which played a pivotal role in establishing minimalism as a significant art movement. Over that decade a group of artists emerged who made objects using a similar vocabulary to modernist architecture- industrial materials that were geometric and cold- but with a totally different goal in mind.


Their artworks look like they might have been made in a factory. They made paintings and sculptures about the materials they used, like paint, and wood and metal. Minimalism began in the 1950s with a group of artists who did not make paintings and sculptures about the things they saw in the world, like a house, or a bottle, or a snowy landscape. A wave of new influences and rediscovered styles led younger artists to question conventional boundaries between various media.ĭue to all the post-war consequences and conditions people lived in, people had experienced a lack of supplies and there was almost none or definitely not a wide range of options regarding getting even daily necessities. Taking inspiration from Constructivism, De Stijl, and the readymades of Marcel Duchamp, Minimalist artists rejected the heroic narratives of Abstract Expressionism in favour of pared down, purely self-referential geometric forms. Minimalism is an art movement developed in the USA in the early 1960s among artists who were self-consciously renouncing recent art they thought had become stale and academic. (Minimalism: The Minimalist Art Movement - dans le gris) Minimalist Art: A Brief History of Minimalism Below, we are going to explain to you what minimalism is and also share the minimalist artists who could have inspired you.įrank Stella, Pratfall, acrylic on canvas (Photo Credit: Sotheby's) While these are typical applications in modern times, it is helpful to gain context on how minimalism has evolved over time to what it is today. The words that best describe minimalist ideas are reductionist, simple, uncluttered, smooth, and almost anything that expresses the fundamental aspects of an artwork. Minimalism is not just about art, minimalism can also apply to the art of living, architecture, fashion, design, literature, music and home decor. Minimalism, viewed as an extension of abstract art, is characterized by the elimination of fundamental forms to reveal the art object's purity and beauty.īut as time passed, minimalism evolved with different meanings for different people. During its time, the minimalist art movement was innovative in its approach as artists emphasized the genuine essence of the medium and material to create the art. Minimalist art style focuses on aesthetics, structure, and texture rather than the artist’s individuality or self-expression. Minimalist art does not contain an underlying meaning or more profound understanding, like with most abstract art. Minimalist art is a design style that emphasizes extreme simplicity, focusing on clean lines, minimalist color, and basic shapes. (Minimalism: The Minimalist Art Movement - dans le gris)Īccording to the definition of minimalism from Cambridge Dictionary: Minimalism is a style in art, design, and theatre that uses the smallest range of materials and colours possible, and only very simple shapes or forms.
