Minimalism, also known as ABC Art or Literalist Art, flourished in the 1960s and 1970s as a reaction against the emotional intensity and gesturalism of Abstract Expressionism. It is characterized by extreme simplicity of form, the use of industrial materials, and the avoidance of any overt symbolic or metaphorical meaning. Minimalist artists like Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, and Sol LeWitt sought to strip art down to its essential elements—shape, color, and space—creating works that exist as literal objects in the viewer’s environment. The movement emphasized the physical presence of the artwork and the viewer’s spatial relationship to it, often utilizing geometric structures and repetitive patterns to achieve a sense of order and clarity.
Minimalism challenged the traditional notion of the artist as a unique “genius” by often employing industrial fabrication processes, removing the visible “hand” of the creator. This focus on objectivity and the immediate sensory experience of the work remains a cornerstone of contemporary sculpture and installation art today.