Written by: Raina Tian
With a series of prominent exhibitions in the 1960s, Post-minimalism arose as an emotional, abstract response to minimalism. The 1966 New York Exhibition, Eccentric Abstraction, curated by Lucy Lippard consisted of emotional, unconventional pieces Lippard recognized were influenced by Surrealism, Dadaism, and Expressionism. However, the term “Post-minimalism” was coined by Robert Pincus-Witten, a historian who, upon viewing the exhibition, recognized these pieces as a larger movement in response to Minimalism. The idea of the aesthetic was emphasized by the title of a 1969 White Museum exhibition, Anti-Illusion, where artists emphasized lack of expression through sculpture. Post-minimalism’s various principles were unified by little other than a response to minimalism and an emphasis on abstraction. Some sought to extend the goal of minimalism, creating art which was strongly defined yet abstract in nature while others rejected the cold, impersonal nature of minimalism. Those who sought to extend minimalism utilized processes which involved less “manipulation” of the material, presenting it in ways which seemed unprocessed or natural. The use of natural forces such as gravity to alter composition contrasted Minimalism’s intentional and precise manipulation of form and composition. Those who rejected Minimalism sought to reinject emotion and human expression into sculpture, focusing on themes related to human experience and perception. A unification of interests and practices, Post-minimalism is less of a movement and more of an umbrella term for its subcategories. This is due to the amorphous nature of the principles which the art followed and its focus on human experience and emotion, themes open to interpretation. Subcategories such as body art, performance art, and process art responded to minimalism each through their own characteristics and practices. Process art sought to include the process by which the piece was made in the meaning. Generally, its focus shifts from a desired form or shape to spontaneous moments in time during the process of creation. It emphasized the characteristics of the media it utilized while making clear the process to the viewer. Where Minimalism sought to conceal evidence of human touch, process art included the spontaneous actions of people in its meaning. Body art focused on using the human body as a medium of artistic expression. It sought to remove the impersonal nature of Minimalism through its literal incorporation of human experience. Human perception and experience were represented through bringing awareness of the passage of time and the physical experience of individuals. In Vito Acconci’s Blinks 1969, Acconci walked down a street and took a picture of the location of every one of his blinks. As the concept of pain is heavily linked to human experience, body art could sometimes be aggressive, such as in the case of Chris Burden’s performance pieces. Chris Burden sought to explore the experience of pain and human suffering through a combination of body art and performance art. He would place himself in endangering situations in stunts such as trapping himself in a locker without food for days and nailing himself to a car. Much of his art resulted in self-mutilation as part of the process or resulting experience. On the other hand, Anish Kapoor involves the viewer in his usually large and involved installations. His work aims to induce emotional responses and self-reflection through their usage of space and occasionally, reflective surfaces. Post-minimalism declined in the 1980s as traditional media grew once more in popularity. However, its influence remains prominent today as it laid the foundations for politically themed work such as performative stunts. As a multi-faceted movement, it maintains relevance today through strands such as performance art and process art.
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ContributorsJACQUELINE YU is the co-founder of the MLWGS art history online magazine. She is an incredible artist and devotes much of her time to both participating in, experiencing, and appreciating art. Archives
April 2019
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