Minimalism in art strips away excess, focusing on simple shapes and industrial materials. It challenges viewers to see objects for what they are, not what they represent. This approach revolutionized how we think about art and its purpose.

Key artists like Donald Judd and Dan Flavin pushed boundaries, using unconventional materials and spaces. Their work paved the way for installation art and influenced how we interact with art in galleries and public spaces today.

Minimalism: Core Principles and Key Artists

Core principles of Minimalism

• Minimalism utilizes simple geometric forms (cubes, rectangles, basic shapes) to create artworks
• Focuses on the object itself rather than any symbolic or representational meaning, creating self-referential works devoid of external associations
• Employs a limited color palette, often featuring monochromatic works or primary colors
• Prevalently uses industrial materials (steel, concrete, plexiglass) in the creation of artworks

Repetition and materials in Minimalist art

• Repetition serves as a key element, with artists creating series of works exploring variations on a single form or theme to establish rhythm and unity
• Seriality involves producing multiple nearly identical objects, allowing artists to investigate subtle variations within strict parameters
• Industrial materials are embraced to emphasize the object's inherent properties, minimize the artist's hand, and challenge traditional notions of art

Key Minimalist artists vs others

• Donald Judd creates "specific objects" blurring lines between painting and sculpture using industrial materials (steel, plexiglass) to form sleek geometric shapes, emphasizing the object's placement within a space
• Carl Andre constructs floor-based sculptures using modular units (bricks, metal plates), encouraging viewer interaction by walking on or around them and exploring the artwork-space relationship
• Dan Flavin works primarily with fluorescent light fixtures to create installations transforming gallery spaces, using light as a sculptural medium to investigate color, space, and perception, challenging traditional notions of sculpture
• In contrast, other artists may focus on symbolic or representational meaning, use a wider range of materials and colors, or prioritize the artist's hand in the creation process

Impact of Minimalism on contemporary art

• Minimalism significantly influences contemporary art by challenging traditional art-making notions, shifting focus to the concept behind the work, and paving the way for installation and site-specific art
• Shares key principles with Conceptual Art, prioritizing the idea or concept over physical execution and challenging traditional art notions and the artist's role
• Differs from Conceptual Art by emphasizing the object itself and its material properties, while Conceptual Art often dematerializes the art object