Minimalism emerged in the 1960s as a reaction against abstract expressionism. Minimalist artists aimed to eliminate composition from their work and create purely visual, non-representational pieces. Key minimalist artists included Frank Stella, Sol LeWitt, Donald Judd, and Dan Flavin. They used industrial materials and geometric forms to create ordered and simplistic sculptures and installations. Their goal was for the works to be seen as literal objects rather than symbolic representations.

1. Minimalism

2. Basics of Minimalists:
• Tried to eliminate composition from their work
• Were focused on creating a purely visual piece, not
concerned with hidden or deeper meanings
• Were primarily a reaction against abstract
expressionism

3. Basics of Minimalists (cont.):
• Believed that 2-D art had a limited number of
possible different works
• Objectified their pieces/ wanted people to see the
piece for what it is, not what it represents
• Spawned Post-Painterly Abstraction- a movement
that was less energetic and more colorful than
previous movements, still nonrepresentational

4. Jackson Pollock, Untitled

5. Russian Constructivism

6. What does that mean?
• It means that they didn’t want their work to look
assembled out of parts/elements
• They completely did away with symbols and
characters in their works
• They blurred the line between 2-D and 3-D with
shaped canvasses
• Often, works were completely 3-D
• Pieces were meant to be seen as literally what they
are, not as metaphors

7. Who Inspired Them?
• Minimalism was primarily a reaction against the
individualism/ individual worship of abstract
expressionism
• The drew on the techniques of earlier artists and
movements like the Constructivist movement, Ad
Reinhardt, and Barnett Newman

8. What are their works known for?
• Works are very ordered
• No thought is given as to symmetry, but works are
often symmetrical due to the artists’ drive for order
• Works are often sculptures or at least semi 3-D
• Finally, works are very simplistic in nature

9. Frank Stella

10. Who was Frank Stella?
• Took art courses at Princeton,
where he was exposed to the
avant garde art of the time.
• Kind of a player, liked to bet on
horse races and owned a race car.
• Didn’t call himself a minimalist,
that was thrust on him by others

11. Vaserely - Kedzi

12. Frank Stella- Turkish Mambo

13. Frank Stella- Harran II

14. Frank Stella-Effingham

15. Frank Stella- Whale Watch

16. Frank Stella – Jarama II

17. Frank Stella-Bamboo Trophy II

18. Frank Stella – Chinese Pavilion

19. Sol LeWitt

20. Sol LeWitt's Life
●Was drafted in the Korean War in 1959
●Took a job at the Museum of Modern Art in 1960
●Influenced by the work of Frank Stella
●Developed interest in Russian Constructivism
●Later Life

21. Sol LeWitt's Influences
● Eadweard Muybridge
● Russian Constructivism
● The Museum of Modern Art

22. Sol LeWitt's Style
● The initial idea for the work is crucial
● Creation of the works-Sol LeWitt designed them, and
had others build/execute the work
● Sol LeWitt's Influences
● Wall drawings and installations
● The importance of color and shape

23. Buried Cube Containing an Object
of Importance but Little Value
● 1968
● Series of Photographs
● Focuses on the idea
of the object being
buried rather than a
final product

24. Incomplete Open Cube
● 1974
● Painted Aluminum
● 122 Unique
variations from 3-
sided to 11-sided

25. Incomplete Open Cubes - Planning

26. Incomplete Open Cubes - Finished

27. Four-Sided Pyramid
● 1997
● Concrete blocks and
mortar
● Perspective and angles
play an important part in
the piece

28. Monumental Sculpture
● 2007
● Acrylic on fiberglass
● Part of a series of
abstract 3-dimensional
sculptures called
“Splotches”

29. Monumental Sculpture - Planning

30. Wall Drawing 11
● 1969
● Black pencil
● Many early works
were basic thin pencil
lines in geometric
forms

31. Wall Drawing 51
● 1970
● Blue snap lines
● The lines connect to
every architectural
point. Each iteration
is unique.

32. Wall Drawing 340
● 1980
● Red, yellow, blue
crayon on red, yellow
and blue wall
● Created during an era
of geometric
experimentation.

33. Wall Drawing 766
● 1994
● Color ink wash
● The dimensions of
the boxes reflect the
shape of the space
they occupy

34. Wall Drawing 684A
● 1999
● Color ink wash
● Early wall drawings
utilized differently
angled lines of
various colors

35. Wall Drawing 1037
● 2002
● Acrylic paint
● Part of a series of
wall drawings titled
“Bars of color within
a square”

36. Wall Drawing 1152
● 2005
● Acrylic paint
● Subtiled “Whirls and
Twirls”

37. Wall Drawing 1260
● 2008
● Graphite
● Part of a series made
with a graphite
scribbling technique

38. Donald Judd

39. Donald Judd – As a person
•Was a Philosophy Major at Columbia, so very
intelligent.
•Is a self proclaimed Empiricist. (Philosophical
standing)
•Very Anti-war. (Vietnam and gulf war) And is a firm
believer in preserving the environment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0stpkzsNDU

40. Judd’s Reliefs and Works
• Key Works Include: ‘Stacks’, ‘Boxes’, and
‘Progressions.
• Works are Symmetrical and made of Industrial
Materials.
• Wants his works to be permanently installed. He
states that are is ‘fragile’.

41. Donald Judd
Relief
Medium: Oil on composition
board mounted on wood,
with steel baking pan
1961

42. Donald Judd
Untitled (Stack).
Lacquer on galvanized iron.
1967

43. Donald Judd
Untitled (Progression)
Lacquer on galvanized
iron.
1967

44. Donald Judd
100 untitled(boxes) in mill
aluminum
1982-1986

45. Dan Flavin

46. Dan Flavin – As a person
• Had a religious catholic upbringing, Served in
Military
• Attended Columbia University and studied painting
and drawing
• Worked in Museums such as the Guggenheim and
Museum of Modern Art before pursuing work.

47. Flavin’s Works
• “It is was it is and it ain’t nothin’ else” – Dan Flavin
• Key characteristic: Used Fluorescent Lights, called his works
“Propositions”, liked Corners and Diagonals
• All the lights used in his work were mass produced
• He often ‘dedicates’ his art work to other people.
• What is unique about his art from other minimalists is that
the fluorescent lights only stay lit for a short while, making
his art perishable.

48. Dan Flavin
Icon V(Coran’s Broadway
Flesh)
1961

49. Dan Flavin
the diagonal of May 25,
1963 (to Constantin
Brancusi)
1963

50. Dan Flavin
monument 4 for those
who have been killed in
ambush (to P.K. who
reminded me about
death)
1966

51. Dan Flavin
greens crossing greens (to Piet Mondrian who lacked green)- 1966

52. Dan Flavin
untitled (to Barry, Mike, Chuck and Leonard), 1972-1975.

53. Sources
• JUDD
• http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O
• http://www.moma.org/modernteachers/large_image.php?id=20
• http://www.chinati.org/visit/collection/donaldjudd.php
• FLAVIN
• http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/flavin/early/early_p3.shtm
• http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/flavin/light/light.shtm
• http://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/dan-flavin/exhibitions/solo
• http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/flavin/early/golddiagonal_
• http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/flavin/monuments/monum