Unit Five- Minimal Art

Minimal Art or “Minimalism” is work that is set out to expose the essence of the art through eliminating all the essential forms or features. I find minimal art very interesting, it has a lot of meaning and you really have to figure it out. In 1962, Tony Smith’s “Die” was created based on Smith’s life. Smith grew up suffering from tuberculosis so he was very antisocial. Smith creates this “cube” in relation to brown meaning death and the height “six feet” as the depth people are usually buried. This sculpture can really relate to people going through a tough time or depression. Another minimal artist is Frank Stella who created Die Fahne Hoch in 1959. This painting was made by equal subdivisions along the sides and bottom. He used symmetrical patterns in his artwork. He used a provocative title “Die Fahne Hoch” which was named after a Nazi Party. He used the emotive title and disestablished the idea of meaning itself in the painting. I find his work very eye catching, I love the symmetrical prints in the art, and it makes the artwork itself standout.