Contemporary Minimalist
About
A contemporary counterpoint to the Minimalism of the early 1960s, works in this category are marked by rigid lines, precise geometry, and austere palettes. The category also includes artists who, like the Post-Minimalist artists of the late 1960s, create pared-down works that focus on the inherent qualities of materials or foreground the spatial relationship between the viewer and the object. Some share their predecessors’ interest in materiality, expanding the use of prefabricated industrial materials into painting and sculpture, as seen in the works of Isaac Brest and David E. Peterson. Others, like Michelle Grabner and Katja Strunz, reject the geometric austerity of Minimalism in favor of more organic forms. A number of recent museum exhibitions have drawn attention to this tendency, including the traveling exhibition “When Now is Minimal” (2014) and “Minimal Baroque” (2014) at Rønnebæksholm Art and Cultural Center.
