This gallery includes paintings that represent the wave of expressionist art that spawned after World War II. The paintings will look at how minimalist artist used color, shape and movement to express their concerns for the world and efforts to bring about a new cultural revolution.
New York, No. 1, Hedda Sterne, 1954, From the collection of: The Toledo Museum of Art
Using a combination Brunelleschi’s system of linear perspective and Bramante’s use of forced perspective. The artist is able to create an illusion of depth inside this abstract piece while sticking with an analogous color palette of grey hues with a touch of brown.
PP-40, Clyfford Still, 1959, From the collection of: Clyfford Still Museum
The artist uses negative space (the white space on the canvas) and bright pops of color to provide a stark contrast in this painting. The artist also has a nice use of shapes of varying sizes, three very noticeable and one very tiny shape and the varying sizes of the shapes provides emphasis to the most prominent shape in the image the bright blue image that dominates the canvas.
PH-163, Clyfford Still, 1954, From the collection of: Clyfford Still Museum
Complete minimalist use of analogous color. Different tones and shades of the color yellow are used to create various shapes through this piece and those shapes are what give this painting movement and life. There is a unity to this painting due to the use of the same color hue, everything flows together seamlessly regardless of the shapes in the piece.
PH-159, Clyfford Still, 1944/1945, From the collection of: Clyfford Still Museum
In this piece the artist uses asymmetrical balance to provide a focal point on the abstract shape in the center of the piece. The artist also creates the illusion of movement by using value and specifically (lighter shades of the same hue) moving out from the abstract center piece which almost makes it look like the piece is reverberating. And uses color again this time with completely different colors to add pops of color to the piece in contrast.
PH-18, Clyfford Still, 1955, From the collection of: Clyfford Still Museum
The artist has a great use of color in this piece, using a triad color scheme to provide contrast. This piece is not as “loud” as many triad color scheme pieces tend to get, which is why I like it and feel it tied into my minimalist feel. It is suggested for best results in a triad scheme to use one color as a focus and the others as secondary or supportive and you can see that here with the red shape being the focal point and emphasis of the piece.
Figura. Paisaje en gris, Antoni Tàpies, 1956, From the collection of: Mart, Museum of modern and contemporary art of Trento and Rovereto
This happens to be my second favorite piece which is interesting because this is nothing more than a grey painting on canvas. But it’s simplicity completely ties into the minimal expressionism that my gallery is attempting to show case. Through analogous hues of grey and various shapes that are defined by lines or color value, they allow this piece to have a movement and depth to it that brings it to life and makes it more than just a grey painting on a canvas.
PH-65, Clyfford Still, 1952, From the collection of: Clyfford Still Museum
This piece is a about as minimalist as use can get a single jagged black line with a smaller vertical black shape in the corner on a canvas with different shades of white paint. What I think makes this piece unique is that the use of line doesn’t follow any of the traditional formal elements of line. Although this line is jagged it doesn’t provide an aggressive appearance that is typically associated with jagged or angled lines. The line doesn’t provide the illusion of weight or volume and it doesn’t create an outline, shape or tone. It’s unique unto itself.
Blue Reflections, Kazuo Nakamura, 1962, From the collection of: Art Gallery of Ontario
This piece is a really good demonstration on the use of texture and how texture can provide depth and almost a 3D feel to a painting when it is on a flat surface or canvas. The painting uses colors of blue and green and with the texture gives the trees on the hillside life as if you can actually see the tree branches in the painting and with less texture presents a more smooth or reflective surface to represent the reflection off of the lake/water.
Untitled, Norman Lewis, 1961, From the collection of: SCAD Museum of Art
My third favorite piece, again grey, and the use of shapes and accent colors to provide movement and depth. The painting moving from darkness to light or changing in value also adds to the illusion of movement. The repetition of the three brown circles adds to the shape and also provides a rhythm to the piece.
PH-223, Clyfford Still, 1956, From the collection of: Clyfford Still Museum
Another minimalist use of analogous color. This time in blue where different tones and shades of the color are used to create various shapes, and those shapes are what give this painting movement and life. There is a unity to this painting due to the use of the same color hue, everything flows together seamlessly regardless of the shapes in the piece. However different from the yellow piece in this gallery, there is some contrast interjected with an electric looking white line and shapes of grey and black for additional contrast.
Credits: All media
This user gallery has been created by an independent third party and may not represent the views of the institutions whose collections include the featured works or of Google Arts & Culture.
