Origin: Late 1960s
Pioneers: Eva Hesse, Bruce Nauman, Richard Serra, Robert Morris
Related Movements: Conceptual Art, Minimalism, Performance Art, Process Art
Post-Minimalism (also spelled Postminimalism) is an art term coined by Robert Pincus-Witten in 1971 and used in various artistic fields for work which is influenced by, or attempts to develop and go beyond, the aesthetic of Minimalism. The expression is used specifically in relation to music and the visual arts, but can refer to any field using minimalism as a critical reference point...
In visual art, Post-Minimalist art uses minimalism either as an aesthetic or conceptual reference point. Post-Minimalism is more an artistic tendency than a particular movement. Post-minimalist artworks are usually everyday objects, use simple materials, and sometimes take on a "pure", formalist aesthetic. However, since Post-Minimalism includes such a diverse and disparate group of artists, it is impossible to enumerate all the continuities and similarities between them.
The work of Eva Hesse is also post-minimalist: it uses "grids" and "seriality", themes often found in minimalism, but is also usually hand-made, introducing a human element into her art, in contrast to the machine or custom-made works of minimalism. Richard Serra is also a prominent post-minimalist...