Postminimalism
Description
Postminimalism is an art term coined (as post-minimalism) by Robert Pincus-Witten in 1971 and used in various artistic fields for work which is influenced by, or attempts to develop and go beyond, the aesthetic of minimalism. The expression is used specifically in relation to music and the visual arts, but can refer to any field using minimalism as a critical reference point. In music, postminimalism refers to music following minimal music. Read more ↗
Key Artists
Eva Hesse
Leading figure of Postminimalism whose tactile, eccentric sculptures using latex, fiberglass, and cord introduced organic vulnerability and human emotion into geometric grids.
Bruce Nauman
Pioneering Postminimalist and conceptual artist whose fiberglass, neon, and body-based sculptures examined human behavior, language, and spatial psychology.
Richard Tuttle
Postminimalist sculptor who used fragile, understated materials like dyed canvas, wire, and paper to create delicate, poetically subtle wall and floor installations.
Keith Sonnier
Postminimal artist who radically departed from rigid geometry by incorporating flexible neon tubing, foam rubber, cheesecloth, and glass into dynamic spatial arrangements.
Lynda Benglis
Postminimalist sculptor who challenged male-dominated Minimalism with her poured pigmented latex floors and organic, bodily polyurethane foam structures.
Jackie Winsor
Postminimalist sculptor known for her labor-intensive, tactile geometric forms crafted from raw materials such as hemp, rope, wood, and concrete.
Famous Artworks
Fun Facts
The term 'Postminimalism' was coined in 1971 by art critic Robert Pincus-Witten in an Artforum essay discussing the organic, emotional, and process-oriented trajectory of Eva Hesse's work.
↗ Source: en.wikipedia.org
Many Postminimalist artists intentionally sought out industrial, non-traditional materials like liquid latex, polyester resin, and polyurethane foam that naturally degrade over time, embracing impermanence over classical monumental permanence.
↗ Source: guggenheim.org
