Minimal art - First video! (CultureCast #047)

Following up with the previous post, I explain why such simple works of art are important, or at least what they are trying to accomplish.

Although this video is kind of rough, I’m pretty pleased with this first video

Click through for transcript and sources/further reading.

Transcript

Hello CultureCats, this is Joshua Hwang delivering the first 90 Seconds to Culture video cast.

Minimal modern art: A Black square worth millions of dollars

So, just recently as of this recording, this painting by Piet Mondrian (show picture) was auctioned off by Christie’s for 21.6 million Euros.

Gwah?

How is it that such a seemingly simple painting, can be worth so much money?
More fundamentally, what is the reasoning behind minimal art?

First, we need a little context.

After World War II, the centre of the art world moved from now the very wartorn Paris to New York. Artists classified as Abstract Expressionists gained popularity. Paintings of this movement emphasized emotionality and the journey of the art work. Brushes, if used at all, were used as to show the brush strokes: they were very painterly. Paintings could be very busy and complex.

Where there is an action however, there is always a reaction.

The reaction was minimal art.

Minimal art (also known as literalist art) came about in the 1950s-60s, still in New York, in direct opposition to Abstract Expressionism.

They very explicitly stated that their art was not self-expression. Minimal art strives for objectivity and inner logic. Exponents of Minimal art reduce the object to stringently simplified, often geometrical shapes. They work with industrial products such as metal tiles, in the case of three dimensional art.

Source / Further Reading:
Wikipedia: Minimal art
ArtLex: Minimalism - Images found through here, unless noted below.
Composition avec Bleu, Rouge, Jaune et Noir by Piet Mondrian - Note lower price than actual auction price.

Tagged as: Art, Fine Art, minimal art