Minimalist Painting: A Complete Overview (Definition, Characteristics & Top 16 Artists)

[@contemporaryartissue]

Dear readers and subscribers, today we take on a sub-genre in abstract painting. A genre where brushstrokes disappear, expression is absent, and the boundaries of painting are being pushed. What do you think about minimal painting? Is it still relevant today? Feel free to read our full article online where we also present a wider selection of artists. Chat soon!

[@kishascape]

What a boring dull contrived headache.

[@Johnconno]

A pain in the arse fiction.

[@simonmultiverse6349]

I have seen some of Rothko's works. They were hung in a dimly-lit room. I would have thought that the dimmer the room, the better. Pitch black would would be the least vomit-inducing and therefore the least objectionable.

[@davidhunternyc1]

I would've also included the work of Nasreen Mohamedi, Carmen Herrera, and Joseph Marioni. All the them the equal of the artists in this video. Google must never be the arbiter of greatness.

[@59jaguar]

Dislike the computer generated voiceover. Topic is good

[@contemporaryartissue]

Our apologies for the AI voice, we are currently preparing a solution to narrate and host our videos. We are currently in a testing phase, but will upgrade our content very soon. Thank you for tuning in and for the valuable feedback!

[@jennyhughes4474]

I didn't mind the voice, tiny bit fast for me but otherwise OK, I thought it sounded natural! I've got a brain injury... I've had to immediately stop watching & listening to a few vids on here because the voices are so terribly grating, but this certainly wasn't one of those!

[@nieverainmaker384]

The rubber ball from the studio of lcp in the afterlife has lolloping in my lounge

[@SNegrea]

A very poorly-researched article that must have confused anyone trying to genuinely understand what was going on with the minimalist movement - some of the descriptions are genuinely baffling (0:45 minimalism influenced by minimal art, Robert Morris' "unique, minimalist paintings, often mechanically produced"), there's no discussion of the various intentions behind the works (surprised there's no mention of how Agnes Martin viewed her own works as "Abstract Expressionist" and also as the outcome of a spiritual process), precursors and contemporaries who are hardly or only occasionally minimalist are thrown in the mix, and then there's John Armleder who's actually more of a neo-dadaist/conceptual artist (a kind of Martin Creed, but older), for instance you show here one of his installations, Furniture Sculpture, which is composed of not only the canvas, but also that drum set - and you're describing as if just the painting is in question. Armleder is ironic at the very least towards minimalism there, not a representative of it. Extremely superficial too, hardly any explanation for the layman why was all this a thing. I know, too much to ask for, you could have just not squeezed 16 artists in 12 minutes yet you did.

[@contemporaryartissue]

I disagree; We have a separate video on the historical movement of Minimal Art-in this video we take on the Minimal aesthetic in painting, followed by a brief anthology of some of the most pertinent painters with an abstract minimalist aesthetic. Minimal Art and minimalist painting are two different things. Yes, Agnes Martin viewed her work as Abstract Expressionist, John Armleder's conceptual foundation is not rooted in Minimal Art, but one cannot deny they implement the aesthetics of Minimal Art into painting-regardless of their conceptual foundation or intention. Minimalist painting is a subgenre in painting, not an art movement. So our discussion/disagreement simply takes off by departing from a different perspective, because I do not disagree with your statements about the aforementioned artists. Concerning the superficiality of the text-once again, I agree-yet, it is impossible on this platform to create hour long films and expect good results, let alone seeing a return on investment for the time spend on this video. We don't have to discuss everything in one video either, hence several other videos digging deeper into certain topics, movements, or specific artists. I hope this might clarify a thing or two. Nevertheless, thanks for tuning in and for the chat!

[@alanhughchandler5504]

I like to add the artist Carmen Herrera, who was over look for most of her art carrier and past away on Saturday

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi Alan, thank you for sharing here. Absolutely, we have included Carmen Herrera in our more extensive article. It saddens me to hear you she recently passed away. Her career is indeed a terrific story. I believe she was indeed 'discovered' very late in her career, instantly followed by retrospectives at major institutions.

[@ReynaSingh]

This was great. Keep it up

[@contemporaryartissue]

Thank you so much for your kind words, much appreciated!

[@davidhunternyc1]

I would've also included the work of Nasreen Mohamedi, Carmen Herrera, and Joseph Marioni. All the them equal to the artists in this video.

[@contemporaryartissue]

You're absolutely right, thank you for sharing!

[@gloriasollecito164]

At least you mentioned one ☝🏼 woman, Agnes Martin. Carmen Herrera should have been on this list.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Dear Gloria, thank you for tuning in. We have included Carmen Herrera in our more extensive list. Feel free to read the full article online on our site. In this video, we are simply presenting our top results from the survey, which has been assembled using an algorithm crawling objective data of all artists in the world. In other words, we do not discriminate, but our survey points out the art world still does. We strongly promote diversity, think of our separate videos on female artists or African painters to name just a few. In any case, thank you for tuning in!

[@konstantinospapaioannou2588]

Great video. I love minimalist paintings, I find them very spiritual, deep, and confident.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Dear Konstantinos, thank you for tuning in! Yes, I have a similar affinity towards minimal paintings. I absolutely adore minimal interventions with maximum result. We'll be adding a very promising minimal painter to our gallery program, Minh Dung Vu. One to watch for sure!

[@villgomz006]

I think Barnett Newman deserves to be in this list.

[@contemporaryartissue]

I absolutely agree, I was very surprised not to find Newman in the top results. Thank you for sharing here!

[@johnconn982]

Thank you, I also mention him, he certainly deserves to be in the list.

[@johnjohnson3709]

I love minimalism and lots of it!!

[@garyreams8123]

LOL'ing.

[@Spineloro]

Minimal talent😝

[@adrdnk]

Exactly

[@Brando-wc8fz]

.

[@JessicaWhite-u2v]

Those with minimal intelligence think minimalism requires minimal skill. Forget talent. Being able to communicate through your art as straightforward as possible and as bluntly as possible actually takes a lot of guts (because of dopes like you that don’t understand it), and a good amount of skill..there’s a lot of restraint required on the artists part and that doesn’t come easy.

[@joshuakunda6708]

I mean you could think that. But at the time they were painting like this no one else was painting like this. So it was radical in that sense

[@camivest]

thank you for highlighting such a diverse group of artists...

[@csconzert]

Stumbled onto this channel and I’m hooked. There will always be more artists to add, but each one featured here is indisputable. Thank you!!

[@contemporaryartissue]

Thank you for those very kind words, much appreciated!

[@Svain5]

None other. None other. None other. None other. None other. None other.

[@kevincardani8321]

Very interesting video. Love this stuff. As an FYI - you kept saying "motive" when I believe that you meant "motif". You may have forgotten Carmen Herrera in this though, but otherwise very thoughtful.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi Kevin, thank you for tuning in. Yes, you are absolutely right. Well spotted! We have included Carmen Herrera in our more extensive selection in the online article, she is absolutely terrific! I heard she passed away this Saturday sadly. Such an extraordinary artist

[@SNegrea]

Carmen Herrera is concrete art rather than minimal art. The two are very closely related, but concretism is closer to the earlier stages of modernist composition. Minimalism is almost more phenomenological than compositional, if that makes sense.

[@johnconn982]

Great presentation, however, how could you not mention Barnett Newman? I will trade you Keneth Nolan for Newman.

[@jennyhughes4474]

Thank you for this. I especially like the art that isn't square or rectangular! A lot of this type of work only looks good if it's really big - when I do little ones (A4 size maybe) in these sorts of styles they look totally rubbish; we haven't all got loads of space nor the money to buy big canvases & lots of paints.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi Jenny, thank you for tuning in and for leaving a comment. Yes, I adore those irregular shapes as well. I would disagree on the scale however. Some of these works are absolutely terrific in small scale. Very subtle and minimal. Less is more often applies to scale as well in my opinion. But of course, many of these are indeed playing the 'monumentality-card' over and over again.

[@aquelpibe]

A good selection. Also worthy of inclusion: Morris Louis and Frank Stella, for part of their careers; the great Gene Davis, Brice Marden, Bridget Riley (unless you prefer to list her under Op Art), Barnett Newman of course, and shouldn´t we include the genius Piet Mondrian?

[@contemporaryartissue]

Terrific recital! Absolutely possible to add them to this list. We simply made the (100%) subjective decision some of these are not 'minimal' enough. So thank you for sharing here!

[@davidhunternyc1]

Rothko wasn't a minimalist. He and Barnett Newman are considered abstract expressionists, precursors to both colorfield painting and minimalism. Bridget Riley is an op artist and Piet Mondrian predates abstract expressionism.

[@adrdnk]

Boring art

[@chrislethbridge1759]

Great overview and a couple of names new to me - thank you. I’d also recommend the late Bob Law whose output has recently been reevaluated in a major monograph. Sadly his profile faded in the 70s in no small part due to his inclusion (while on show at The Hayward Gallery) in a thoroughly unpleasant documentary that aimed to do a hatchet job on the ‘avant garde’ broadcast by the BBC (for which it should eternally be ashamed!). A contemporary artist I rate is Maria Lalic.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi, Chris thank you for tuning in for sharing these artists. Bob Law and Maria Lalic were unknown to me, so thank you for introducing them to me. I must say, both are extremely good according to my humble opinion. Great taste, congratulations!

[@starmanjesus5679]

Thank you so much though I wouldn’t put the spatialist Fontana in that list

[@johnconn982]

Well done and comprehensive, but again, omitting Barnet Newman is a shame.

[@sebber7992]

Mark Rothko's paintings are not minimalist. The rest are all hacks, except of course for Agnes Martin.

[@sebastianmelmoth685]

less is bore

[@adrdnk]

Yeah I was watching this made me want to paint but to do better these paintings are all so boring

[@paulrollinson1305]

Much better with the sound off to avoid the awful commentary.

[@dnlgrmn7169]

Please. Stop using those AI narrative. It feels so Artificial.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi there, we are looking to host and narrate the videos ourselves. We are looking for equipment and are currently in a testing phase. Anyway, thank you for tuning in again! Much appreciated!

[@dnlgrmn7169]

@@contemporaryartissue I love this channel, as an artist my self it provides great information. Thank you and keep the videos coming……….

[@contemporaryartissue]

@@dnlgrmn7169 The pleasure is all mine. More videos coming soon, including some interesting information for artists!

[@1hayes1]

What a ridiculous grab-bag of artists. I guess that's what results when art history is reduced to a video listicle.

[@spreckvondreck9905]

Josef Albers born in 1988? Seriously?

[@smkh2890]

Excellent overview! I have long been a massive fan of Mark Rothko.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi there, thank you for those kind words. In fact, we are currently preparing a digital retrospective on Mark Rothko. So stay tuned!

[@Kennie2Times]

Ummm.....so just to clarify something......so he was born in 1988, then died in 1976? truly a miracle not just in the art world.....but kinda like a Jesus thing or something.....

[@contemporaryartissue]

Erratum: born in 1888... Thank you for tuning in!

[@olafandrea933]

Content is good, but text-to-speech instead of a real lecturer is a bit of a bummer.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Thank you Olaf for your valuable feedback, I completely agree. As a result, since last weekend I am hosting the video's myself. So feel free to stay posted

[@jayumble8390]

Absolutely fantastic! Many thanks!!!

[@contemporaryartissue]

The pleasure is ours, thank you for tuning in!

[@kaes7041]

Arguably one of the most interesting and informative KZbin channels on the subject of modern art for novice and more experienced art lovers as well as art students. I would just suggest a slightly more economic use of the term "no other than xx" which maybe should be reserved for the artists of the really highest significance.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Thank you so much for your kind words and constructive feedback. I agree!

[@tuineilson9190]

Great works

[@memoirsofhadrian]

Did we all notice 1988?

[@contemporaryartissue]

Sadly, yes :-) Erratum: 1988 --> 1888

[@lisengel2498]

Quite fun with this very fast overview of minimalist influential artists - personally I am more attracted to the vibrational fields of Rothko .... because the interesting question for me is “ what does color vibration do to the invironment and to us?” And the second question that I find interesting is “How does a work of art influence the lived experience of bodymindworld?” - and as far as I can see hard edge is really about order and control - focussing on separation 😊🎶🎵

[@contemporaryartissue]

Yes, there is a very powerful combination between subtle expression and calculated minimal compositions as with Rothko. Hard Edge paintings lack this expression and a visible brushstrokes, which makes them feel as machine-made. Rothko has that existential weight in his works due to the visual presence of his human touch. Thank you for tuning in!

[@garyreams8123]

How in the world could you make a video on "Minimalist" art without including Ad Reinhardt with his revolutionary and incredibly subtle "Black Paintings"? They weren't just monochromes.They caused an absolute scandal when first shown at MOMA in NYC. Shame on you. Outrageous. Unbelieveable. Totally ignorant.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Dear Gary, first and foremost, thank you for tuning in and for leaving a comment. However, we are well aware of Ad Reinhardt's works and importance. He may not be included in this shortlist but he is included in the more extensive selection of the article this video is based on. You can find it via the link in the description.

[@Доминик-ж4ч]

You call them totally ignorant when it was really you all along!

[@nedgey]

This narration sounds automated. I don't know if it's my imagination, but it's giving me a headache.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Sadly it is. However, the past year we have been hosting the videos personally. So feel free to stay tuned

[@akogosov]

Why is it called art? I can understand it could be called design, but art? What does it represent? Why people pretend they understand it?

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi Alex, thank you for tuning in. Because it is not merely decorative. These artists are exploring the sacral, psychological effects of mathematical structures, color theory, and much more.

[@jamiek4421]

Why didn’t you mention Zilia Sanchez ?

[@contemporaryartissue]

Terrific artist! Well deserving of a spot here indeed, but sadly she did not make the top results

[@jamiek4421]

@@contemporaryartissue why not? Please justify.

[@kacperk.1320]

Great video! Although I have to say, I'm quite disappointed with the white male centric quality (gender check: 1 female artist and 15 male artists, most if not all are white Americans/Europeans).

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi Kacper, thank you for tuning in. With this list we simply presented the top results of our survey. The survey was completed by using the algorithm by Artfacts which ranks artists based upon objective data and career facts (such as shows at major institutions, auction results, biennials, collections, et cetera). And yes, sadly it showed - once more - not a very diverse selection of artists at the top.

[@kacperk.1320]

@@contemporaryartissue Got it, thanks for clarifying! Hope to see more diversity in the top artists of the next generation of minimalists :)

[@anthonycavallero6637]

He was not born in 1988 .

[@terezamiekotokuzatokano2920]

Fabuloso, sou do Brasil 🇧🇷!!!!

[@contemporaryartissue]

Thank you so much for tuning in! Best wishes from Belgium!

[@williambreedyk7861]

You say in the video that Albers was born in 1988,- but that was obviously a slip of the tongue.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Of course! 1988 --> 1888. Our apologies!

[@davidhunternyc1]

I bet Albers wishes he were born in 1988.

[@klausder1395]

Fantastic Video.. Thank you.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Dear Klaus, thank you so much for tuning in and for your appreciative words. The pleasure is all mine, thank you!

[@thefineletterco.7199]

I’m pretty sure Josef Albers was not born in 1988! 😂

[@contemporaryartissue]

Indeed, a rather unfortunate typo there 😅

[@tasri]

Thanks for saving civilization :)

[@contemporaryartissue]

My pleasure! ;-) Have a great day!

[@wfbcwfbc7884]

Art for arts sake

[@marijasvetozarevic6911]

If it’s a nonmaterial artwork, then it’s not an artwork. It’s just an idea. The point and beauty of art is being able to channel our ideas and perspectives in to the physical reality. To engage our senses.

[@crustykells27]

Born in1988.

[@Chairman639]

I love minimalism and lots of it!

[@contemporaryartissue]

Less is more! So more less, please! 😅

[@plywoodcarjohnson5412]

I won't say what I think about this. But one of them is a murderer.

[@avanm420]

Who is Robert Morris?

[@장승택장승택]

where ? Donald Judd & Cal Andre. .

[@contemporaryartissue]

We take on the medium of painting with this video. We have covered minimal art in an other video, featuring Donald Judd, Carl Andre and 23 other highly influential minimal artists. Thank you for tuning in!

[@dougpaulin4826]

Joseph Albers born in 1988? This is great art if you can't draw or paint.

[@jabbati]

Only one woman artist here??? What about Carmen Herrera, SUZAN FRECON, NOEMI ESCANDELL, Mary Corse, Nasreen Mohamedi, Noemi Escandell, Anne Truitt, Mary Obering, and Edwina Leapman. I understand the canon here only recognizes white men. You need to help redefine that with a new view that doesn't overlook the contribution of women and people of color.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi Jabbati, excellent point. We include several of the artists you mentioned in our more extensive article on this topic, going beyond the top results of our survey. I believe it is a very tricky challenge. We want to remain as art scientific as possible, but at the same have the urge to take responsibility and to include artists that are wrongfully overlooked by institutions.

[@SNegrea]

Carmen Herrera and Noemí Escandell are hardly minimalist! Despite that, Herrera is in the online article, and so is Mary Corse who would have deserved a text on what her work meant in the context of the West Coast 'Light and Space' movement. There's also Jo Baer thrown in there. I agree there could have been more female artists - I'd also add Geneviève Asse, Irma Blank, and especially Marcia Hafif (who's a far more prominent monochrome painter than Phil Sims from the same Radical Painting group, who's somehow included there).

[@CineArtShorts]

​@@contemporaryartissue Now that would make an excellent and fascinating video and could be a step in the direction for others to follow and might certainly help speed up the process of change.

[@cedarraine7829]

Agnes Martin stated that she is not a minimalist

[@contemporaryartissue]

And Mark Rothko stated he is not an Abstract Expressionist. Yet, both their work align with the characteristics of minimal painting and Abstract Expressionism. It has more to do with how they want to demarcate their own "space" without being associated with the same names or being categorized by a particular label. Thank you for tuning in

[@andrewmass1414]

Great. Will research these.

[@contemporaryartissue]

That's terrific, thank you for tuning in!

[@Chenet7]

with astigmatism, keratokonus and myopia not good for my vision this minimalism

[@eoagr1780]

What’s your opinion on ar as a medium of art?

[@contemporaryartissue]

AR has its place in an institutional context, but most often, it becomes too much a mere visual spectacle. So as a medium it still needs to grow and it will most likely be designated for institutional exhibitions only-similar to immersive art. Great question!

[@airtimedroneguy6449]

Like this side of art

[@contemporaryartissue]

🙌🙌🙌

[@CarlosRodriguez-cj8oo]

Ok...looks like I'll be the odd man out and point out that "The Emperor Has No Cloths..." But I'll leave it alone. I find Marcel Duchamp's urinal inspiring (and useful in a pinch) and others see the universe in a black box. We all have our references and inspirations in the universe.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Minimalist painting does not have to be everyone's cup of tea-enjoy what you enjoy and let others enjoy what they enjoy. Art is a feast!

[@vincentwong2801]

Dead end

[@alanwheatcroft2684]

Actually less is less and more is more!!

[@klaud7311]

9:02 that is my favorite of his paintings

[@slownif6436]

The one thing i love about minimalist art is when i see at long distances it looks great, and feel emotionally, and spiritually attached upon the art, but when i see at short distance, i feel the art is empty, even i don't feel that the painting is art at all.

[@contemporaryartissue]

An ambiguous experience one would say. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[@larryaleshire4907]

you need to learn how to pronounce the names of the artists you include...

[@contemporaryartissue]

When we published this video, we still used an AI voice to create our videos, hence the terrible pronounciation of names. Luckily, we currently host our videos ourselves now. Thank you for tuning in and for the feedback!

[@sebastianostheimerrozo779]

Far away of considering them as painters, only diffrence between them and the "artist" Who painted my room; its the context they show the work and payments they get for the Job!

[@adrdnk]

I was thinking the same doesn't seem to take any skill to do this just keep painting same colors bold boring.. I'll just look at the green wall in my room

[@sebastianostheimerrozo779]

@@adrdnk nowdays artshows are for pretentious people how believe they are gathering at some exclusive and intelectual enviorment. when the truth its that they are getting scam!

[@emmalouie1663]

This was informative as I haven't ever paid too much attention to minimal art & I don't understand the emphasis on non-expressiveness, the no brush stroke and the geometric forms. When I first looked for minimal art I was thinking of something different like expressive bu thyper simplified perhaps. In a way truly minimal art would have to be functional in my opinion because if it's not useful and used and serving a practical purpose then by definition it's just not minimal. Somehow minimal art is an oxymoron because the LESS the art does for us emotionally the LESS the art has a purpose. Not sure how to feel about minimal art like the items seen here and I wonder what motivated the artists. I guess I feel like I could enjoy some version of minimal art IF my home was fancy but minimal art doesn't feel or look right in a non minimal home like it's an aesthetic that doesn't blend well with other things does it. Maybe I will have to look at more minimal art.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Very interesting comment! And even still, without the expressive presence of paint or the mark of the artist, it can have a tremendous emotional impact on the viewer. Thank you for tuning in!

[@emmalouie1663]

Yes, that is true, it can have a emotional impact on the viewer. I guess I associate mass-production, plastic, synthetics with minimalism. I think of white plastic and artists who aren't inspired and passionate but are playing a joke on the viewer. Is a square more minimal than a curve I don't know but a square is more likely to evoke the unnaturally generated item. Maybe I should find a book on minimal art and read it. Anyhow, thanks for the videos they are fun to watch. @@contemporaryartissue

[@peterney2402]

It's all minimalist except the price.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Sadly, indeed :-)

[@olisorenson]

just a note, joseph albers was not born in1988 :D

[@contemporaryartissue]

Yes, well spot, our apologies! Erratum: 1988 --> 1888

[@allak8294]

“Expression is absent”?….. I wonder how Rothko would react to this definition….

[@davidhunternyc1]

Yes, Rothko wasn't a minimalist. He and Barnett Newman are considered abstract expressionists, precursors to both colorfield painting and minimalism.

[@allak8294]

@@davidhunternyc1 well, if you’ve seen this video on minimalists, Rothko‘s in it

[@davidhunternyc1]

​@@allak8294 Minimalism is a movement that came after Abstract Expressionism. Yes, Rothko's work is reductive but he wasn't a part of the minimalist movement.

[@allak8294]

@@davidhunternyc1 but his work does fit the definition of the minimalist paintings

[@davidhunternyc1]

@@allak8294 Rothko's work does not. Minimalism effaces spirituality and gesture. Check out Donald Judd's essay, "Specific Objects." Rothko, Newman, Pollock, and DeKooning formed the "New York School" and Abstract Expressionism. Rothko was already a mature painter by the time minimalism evolved. Early practitioners from Coenties Slip. Minimalism came after Abstract Expressionism.

[@kafir7478]

😂😂😂😂 with this I am inspired to "paint" very minimalist painting. There is a limit to this!!! Ridiculous

[@-joe90]

Minimal art ,maximal win $$$$$$$$

[@contemporaryartissue]

Minimal interventions, maximum result!

[@jfendick]

Ugh!!!

[@davidinger961]

This is about as interesting as waiting for the paint to dry

[@tomasarista5055]

This is not painting

[@sooperd00p]

You know your work is dead when someone puts an -ism on it.

[@stevenp.6062]

Excellent. Thank you. My kind of works.

[@contemporaryartissue]

The pleasure is all mine!

[@stinkmytrip]

Why the weird narration ? Robotic.

[@contemporaryartissue]

We are currently in a testing phase to host and narrate our videos personally. The AI narration is an aspect that needs major improvement on the short term for sure. In any case, thank you for tuning in and for your valuable feedback!

[@isotopiary]

Not to be nitpicking but I don’t think Josef Albers was born in 1988..🫢

[@contemporaryartissue]

Apologies for the mistake! Nevertheless, thank you for tuning in 🙏

[@isotopiary]

Ha no problem-happy to be your unofficial editor 😄