Post-Minimalism has become the catchall word for artists whose work reflects a deliberate rebellion against the severity and coldness of Minimal Art. Post-Minimal artists reintroduced texture, anecdotal reference and soft edges. Often the works seemed personal and anti-intellectual.
The term was invented by the art historian and critic Robert Pincus-Witten in his article "Eva Hesse: Post-Minimalism into Sublime," Artforum, November 1971.
Eva Hesse (1936-1970) called her sculptural works "absurd," because they defied the logical assumptions Modernist sculpture seemed to follow. Her works featured sensually curving forms hardened by fiberglas. They might lean against a wall. They might display chaotic or disorienting elements, such as tangled strings or wobbly protrusions.
Other Post-Minimalists incorporated natural forms, such as Robert Lobe's "trees," Richard Long's mediated landscapes and Andy Goldworthy's cairns.
How Long Has Post-Minimalism Been A Movement?
Post-Minimalism can be traced to the late 1960s and continues to this day.
What Are the Key Characteristics of Post-Minimalism?
- Opposition to Minimalism's strict purity of line, shape or color.
- Emphasis on texture.
- Emphasis on shape.
- Emphasis on context.
- For some, an emulation or reinterpretation of natural materials.
- Personal, rather than impersonal.
Best Known Artists:
- Eva Hesse
- Richard Serra
- Martin Puryear
- Richard Tuttle
- Andy Goldsworthy
- Richard Long
- Robert Lobe
- Mary Miss
- Alice Aycock
Suggested Reading:
Pincus-Witten, Robert. "Eva Hesse into Sublime," Artforum, November 1971.
Anderson, Lisa. Minimalism and Post-Minimalism: Drawing Distinctions.
Hanover, NH: Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, 1990.