Postminimalism

Postminimalism arose in the late 1960s as artists began to question the strict geometry and industrial fabrication of Minimalism. The term was coined by critic Robert Pincus-Witten in 1971 to describe a new sensibility that retained Minimalism's focus on materials and process but abandoned its cool, rationalist ethos.¹ Key influences included the phenomenological writings of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and the experimental choreography of the Judson Dance Theater, which emphasized the body's physical presence and the unpredictability of action.² Artists such as Eva Hesse, Bruce Nauman, and Richard Serra began to use soft, pliable, or raw materials—latex, felt, lead, and even bodily fluids—and to let gravity, chance, and the artist's own gestures shape the final form. This shift was articulated by Robert Morris in his 1968 essay "Anti-Form," which argued for a process-based art that embraced the inherent properties of materials.³

Eva Hesse's sculptures, such as Expanded Expansion (1969), combined fiberglass and latex in precarious, hanging configurations that blurred the line between painting and sculpture. Bruce Nauman's Neon Templates of the Left Half of My Body Taken at Ten-Inch Intervals (1966) used his own body as a template, while his video works like Walking in an Exaggerated Manner Around the Perimeter of a Square (1967–68) explored the body's movement in space. Richard Serra's Castings (1969) involved throwing molten lead into the corner of a room, letting it splatter and solidify—an act that emphasized process and the artist's physical intervention. Lynda Benglis's poured latex floor pieces, such as Bitch (1971), challenged the machismo of both Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism. Other notable figures include Robert Morris, whose Felt pieces (1967–68) hung from the wall in soft, gravity-defying folds, and Barry Le Va, whose scattered arrangements of materials explored the aftermath of action.⁴

Postminimalism was deeply informed by phenomenology, particularly the idea that art is experienced through the body rather than the eye alone. Artists sought to create situations that engaged the viewer's physical presence, often using scale, gravity, and the passage of time. The movement also intersected with the rise of conceptual art, performance, and land art, as artists expanded the boundaries of what could be considered a sculptural object. Critics such as Rosalind Krauss and Lucy Lippard were instrumental in framing these practices, with Lippard's 1973 book Six Years: The Dematerialization of the Art Object documenting the shift toward ephemeral and idea-based work.⁵ However, the term "postminimalism" has been criticized for its vagueness, as it encompasses a wide range of styles and concerns. Some scholars argue that it is more useful to speak of specific sub-movements, such as Process Art or Anti-Form, rather than a single unified tendency.¹

Beyond the canonical figures, postminimalism included many artists who are less well known but equally significant. For example, the Italian artist Marisa Merz, the only female member of Arte Povera, created delicate, untitled works using unfired clay and copper wire that resonate with postminimalist concerns. The Japanese collective Mono-Ha, active in the late 1960s, explored the relationship between natural and industrial materials, often in site-specific installations. In the United States, artists like Alan Saret, whose wire mesh sculptures seem to float in space, and Keith Sonnier, who used neon and video, expanded the vocabulary of the movement. The influence of postminimalism extended into dance, with choreographers like Yvonne Rainer and Trisha Brown collaborating with visual artists. The movement also had a significant impact on later developments, including the feminist art movement of the 1970s, which drew on its emphasis on the body and process, and on contemporary installation art.

Anti-Form

A term coined by Robert Morris in 1968 to describe art that rejects predetermined forms and instead allows materials to take their own shape through gravity and chance.

Process Art

An art movement emphasizing the process of making art, often involving ephemeral materials and actions, rather than the final product.

Arte Povera

An Italian art movement of the late 1960s that used everyday materials and emphasized the physical and conceptual properties of objects.

Mono-Ha

A Japanese art movement of the late 1960s that explored the relationship between natural and industrial materials, often in site-specific installations.