Minimalism

The Minimalist movement began in the 1950’s and continued through to the 60’s and 70’s. Minimal art is characterized by its simplicity in both form and content, where personal expression is removed in order to achieve this. The intention of minimalist artists is to allow the audience to view a composition more intensely because the distractions of theme etc. have been removed. Minimalism can be detected as early as the 18th century where the artist Goethe constructed an Alatar of Good Fortune that consisted of a stone sphere and a cube. In addition, in the 1920’s artists such as Malevich and Duchamp created works that suggested at minimalist intentions. The Minimalist movement is similar to Conceptual Art in that the outcome is used to express a theory. Minimalism is also similar to Pop Art because of the impersonal attitude, and Land Art because of the use of simple forms. Minimalist artists of the time reacted against Abstract Expressionism, which is demonstrated by the stark canvases, simple installations, and minimalist sculptures. Some of the most famous minimalist artists include Dan Flavin, Carl Andre, Donald Judd, and Ellsworth.

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