Arte Povera Movement and Its Relation to Minimalism
MIDTERM ESSAY
Your midterm assignment is based on a very simple premise: In our narrative from the 1950s to 1970s thus far, much of the work from many of the artists we’ve discussed could fit in more than one movement. For example, Robert Smithson’s sculptures that appeared in the Primary Structures exhibition, a show that has been historicized as establishing the movement, clearly exhibit characteristics of Minimalism. Andy Warhol’s Brillo Boxes also share obvious organizational qualities of Minimalism. One could also argue Anne Truitt’s hand-painted sculptures share just as much with Barnett Newman’s color fields of Abstract Expressionism as they do of Minimalism.
Choose one work by any artist we’ve discussed in any movement up until Institutional Critique (all powerpoints are attached by week in Canvas) and (in a well-organized and clearly-articulated essay discussion) characteristics of both the movement to which the artist belongs that we’ve discussed and an additional related movement you’d like to argue it closely is related to. This essay requires less research (though you may want to cite any writings that support your argument) than thinking from different points of view about the same work.
Important Criteria
Due as module states below
Paper Requirements 3 - 4 pages, double spaced, MLA format citations, work cited page
Professors Name
Course Code and Name
Date
Art Since the Sixties
Artists focus their work on certain movements to give them meaning. An example of such a movement is Minimalism. The movement focuses on using simple forms, often in a monochromatic palette. Minimalist artists focus on the essentials of their subject matter and leave out unnecessary details. They also tend to use clean, clear lines and negative space. Minimalism is a popular style for artists today. It became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, but it has recently seen a resurgence. The Arte Povera also constitutes an important movement in art due to its focus on simple objects and nature traces. Artists such as Alighiero Boetti expresses an aspect of both movements in his famous "Map of the World." The paper will focus on the Arte Povera movement and its relation to Minimalism.
Alighiero's work belongs to the Arte Povera movement, with elements depicting its relations to the minimalist movement. Arte Povera's art focuses on simple, everyday materials such as paper and cardboard. It began in the 1960s when artists like Alighiero Boetti and Luciano Fabro started using unconventional materials to create artworks (Storer 72). This trend was known as Arte Povera because it focused on poor or humble things. Arte Povera artists were influenced by the work of Joseph Beuys, whose use of materials such as felt and fat was used to create an emotional response from viewers. Arte Povera artists also believed in creating art that could be easily understood by everyone, even those unfamiliar with the art world. The concept is evident in minimalist art, whereby the artist uses simple materials to create a work of art. In the artist's world map work, he used simple materials to weave in the artwork, thus creating an amazing piece. The choice of colors is a common aspect in minimalist paintings and plays an important role in determining the work's appearance.
Alighiero Boetti's "Map of the World" focuses on using color to create form. His painting uses pure, broken colors with lines or other forms to separate them. The aspect creates a sense of movement and energy. The artist's work also has an emotional quality that makes viewers feel something deep inside themselves. Boetti began his career as an artist by quitting business school and choosing to study art. His earliest works were figurative and highly focused on using wool, wax, slate, and felt (Povera et al 228). He began experimenting with abstract expressionism and transitioned to working in color fields. Minimalism uses simple, geometric forms to create art. The movement's fame is through basic shapes and lines that often have a sense of balance or symmetry. Minimalist artists strive to avoid any extraneous details in their work. Minimalism is often considered the source of inspiration for Arte Povera artists. Expressionist paintings were too complicated and relied too heavily on emotion to convey meaning.
Alighiero Boetti's work, "Map of the World," is a depiction of how Arte Povera relates to the minimalist movement. The similarity between the two movements is that they both sought ...