Minimalism

by James Sampson Meyer

This volume shows how artists as diverse as Carl Andre, Donald Judd, Robert Morris, and Anne Truitt came to be designated as minimalists during a series of exhibitions in the 1960s. Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features. The author attempts to make sense of minimalism as an artistic moment. He points out that, at first, the term "minimalism" was derogatory, implying that the art was too reduced and abstract. In the late '60s, the label lost its stigma as the work was widely recognized by major museums, and minimalist art headed toward canonization. This work analyzes that process as well as the backlash against minimalism by leftists, especially in Europe, who associated it with American cultural imperialism. It also places minimalist art in a broader cultural context, noting the stripped-down, austere sensibility that prevailed in '60s fashion and design.