1. What is minimalism?
What is Minimalism?
[...] by looking it up and referring to artists such as Donald Judd. To me, it means taking the academic and formal reasons for making art to the extreme where not only do you eliminate the subject in an art work, but you shave the art down to the bare necessities of material. It is the opposite of a narrative work, or a decorative work, or a work that you look at to revel in with your eyes. It is work that is more conceptual and formal.
2. Did you witness the development of minimalism? If so, then what was your reaction to it? What were the reactions of others to it?
I witnessed a certain amount of minimalism, with artists who got rid of the object altogether and artists who just made canvases of one solid color. But it was before I was making art professionally myself and I was not involved in the scene.
My reaction to it now is BORING. I think you need to know that I love art that tells me something and gives me something to delight in visually. It doesn’t have to be representative, but at least engaging.
I am not sure what others thought at the time, but many now do not like it too much.
3. Did minimalism further art theory? And if so, how?
Every art movement influences what comes after it and is a reaction to what came before. Yes it furthered art theory by encouraging performance art and other art that moved out of the gallery, in my opinion. (Such as earthworks.)
4. How did society and the time period of minimalism’s development impact minimalism, and how did minimalism impact society?
If minimalism impacted more than other artists, it would be by further alienating society, i.e.: people with no academic background or background in art. If you go to a gallery and there is simply a square on the floor made of wood, then unless you get into the concept of it, you will be disappointed. I think it all occurred as a result of other art, like pop art, which was so gaudy, and also the times we lived in. We were coming out of the Viet Nam war which was very sensational. Art reacts to society at times by going in the other direction of what we see on the news, for instance.
5. What was the result of minimalist art, or in other words, did it cause a new type of art?
Minimalism influenced other styles, as I mentioned, and then painting eventually came back with a vengeance in Neo Expressionism in the 80’s.
6. In your opinion, what was minimalism trying to communicate through its art? Are there any major themes involved?
I think I have answered this already. I could add that it developed into deconstructionism and added to the already growing ideas of conceptualism.
7. Is there anything you would like to add about minimalism? Thank you very much for your time.
I think it is a style of its own time and we are on to other things now. But all art history is in what we do now, it is all reflected somehow. Like a giant snowball rolling down a hill that grows until it turns into an avalanche, this is art.
--Karen Skiba is the associate professor of art at Riverside Community College