The San Diego Museum of Art has launched its newest exhibition, ‘american minimal,’ which highlights the influential Minimalist art movement that emerged in the United States.
Curated by Anita Feldman, along with Jennifer Findley and John Digesare, the exhibition runs through June 1 and pays homage to the legacy of Minimalism and its impactful artists.
As the deputy director for curatorial affairs at The San Diego Museum of Art, Feldman states that the exhibition serves as a tribute to the artists who have passed away in recent years, such as Fletcher Benton, Richard Serra, Frank Stella, and Joe Goode.
These artists have had a profound impact on subsequent generations of creators, and this exhibition showcases their notable works, including Stella’s major painting ‘Flin Flon VIII’ (1970), along with pieces by 50 additional Minimalist artists working in the United States.
The exhibition also highlights several women artists who have historically been sidelined, including Florence Arnold, Helen Odell Gilbert, June Harwood, Nancy Haynes, Helen Lundeberg, and Helen Pashgian.
Additionally, contemporary artists like Lita Albuquerque, Susan Chorpenning, Mary Corse, Gisela Colón, and Gary Lang are featured, showcasing how Minimalism has evolved and taken new directions.
Minimalism is considered to have originated in 1959 when Stella exhibited his geometric black-and-white paintings at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).
His famous remark, ‘What you see is what you see,’ became the unofficial motto of the movement, which emphasizes that art should be viewed as an object in its own right, rather than as a representation of something else.
This approach rejects abstraction and calls attention to the surface of the artwork while eliminating the ‘hand of the artist’ that was so prominent in Abstract Expressionism.
Donald Judd’s work stands as a paradigm of this new direction, epitomized by ‘Table Object from Ten for Leo Castelli’ (1967), which features repeating stainless steel forms and is a focal point in the first gallery of the exhibition.
In the 1960s and 70s, discussions among art critics regarding artistic definitions became extensive, with questions about what constitutes a sculpture versus a painting.
Minimalist artists pushed these boundaries, leading to a contemporary art landscape where rigid definitions are no longer demanded.
Today, the forms and materials of art are more fluid; artworks can occupy space in varied, innovative ways, with some paintings physically projecting into the space or involving kinetic light to create shifting colors.
Interestingly, the origin of Minimalism was not limited to the East Coast, as notable movements and exhibitions took place in California around the same period.
In 1959, a group of four Minimalist artists – Karl Benjamin, Lorser Feitelson, Frederick Hammersley, and John McLaughlin – exhibited together in Los Angeles, and they are represented in the current exhibition.
Local technological advancements, primarily from the aerospace industry in California, allowed artists to experiment with new materials.
An example is Harry Bertoia, who developed his sound sculptures after working at the U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory in Point Loma.
The Light and Space movement emerged from a blend of innovation and inspiration derived from the natural environments of Southern California, featuring captivating light and expansive ocean and desert horizons.
Among the works displayed is DeWain Valentine’s 1978 life-sized transparent disc made of blue and violet resin, which engages viewers by reflecting and merging with their surroundings.
Valentine is known for inventing his own resins, which enhanced the size capacity of the medium while also teaching plastics technology at UCLA.
Moreover, Claremont McKenna College has become a vital center for Minimalist artists, hosting talents like Florence Arnold, Karl Benjamin, and Aaron Parazette.
At UC Irvine, influential artists such as John McCracken and James Turrell were students of Tony DeLap.
California’s surf and automobile culture also inspired the ‘finish fetish’ phenomenon, characterized by rich and glossy surfaces such as those evident in McCracken’s ‘Saturn’ (1988-92).
Additionally, the exhibition explores the broader cultural impact of Minimalism, which extended beyond visual arts into music, dance, fashion, and literature.
Included in the exhibit are works by John Cage, photographs by Arnold Newman featuring minimalist composer Phillip Glass, and imagery of dancer Martha Graham, who introduced minimalism into the dance world.
Graham is depicted in her signature black costume against a stark white wall, symbolizing the minimalist aesthetic in movement.
Furthermore, concrete poetry by Carl Andre illustrates the fusion of literary elements with a minimalist sensibility, employing red and black typewriter ink to form text compositions across four pages.
In curating ‘american minimal,’ Feldman aimed to provide viewers with a unique experience at The San Diego Museum of Art, which has traditionally dedicated galleries to modern and contemporary art.
She notes that 90 percent of the artworks in this exhibit are drawn from the museum’s permanent collection.
This exhibition offers visitors a chance to disconnect from the chaos of daily life and immerse themselves in art that invites contemplation and appreciation of objects in their purest forms.
It encourages audiences to explore the subtleties of simple shapes like the square and the continuous circle.
Visitors can sit quietly and reflect on the interplay of light and color with pieces like Larry Bell’s ‘Untitled (Corner Lamp)’ (1980), where glass forms refract light into mesmerizing patterns.
‘american minimal’ is a compelling showcase that invites engagement with the transformative power of Minimalism through both historical and contemporary lenses.
The San Diego Museum of Art presents ‘american minimal’ through June 1, 2024.
Tickets are priced at $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors aged 65 and over, while youth under 17 can enter for free.
For more information, contact the museum at 619-232-7931 or visit their website at sdmart.org.
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