Chapter 12 Summary

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 displays the display of the Primary Structures in the Jewish Museum of New York between April 27 and June 12, 1966. The Primary Constructs were originally proposed by a collective that called themselves the Minimalist, and the structures did not have any inside or outside, and they lacked any secret significance because if anyone did not like them for the first time, it was doubtful they would like them later (Altshuler, Bruce &Greenberg, p.220).

The Exhibition

The exhibition was organized by Kynaston McShine, New York Jewish Museum, who is the new director of painting and sculpture. McShine sought to establish the first large show of the Primary Structures to define and crystallize it at its peak instead of when it was on its downslope. Leading artists in making the Primary Structures were such as Carl Andre, Judd, and Morris who wanted to escape from the European artistic tradition by abolishing illusion and emotion and therefore reducing details to open the viewer to fundamentals that would otherwise be hidden by complex composition (Altshuler, Bruce &Greenberg, p.223). The rationale behind this was so that the viewer would come to perceive themselves as part of the picture since they could relate to it. For instance, Judd_x0092_s exhibition comprised of 4 forty-inch galvanized boxes which were indifferent to the traditional positioning since one hung on the wall while the other one was positioned on the floor (Altshuler, Bruce &Greenberg, p.226).

The Use of the Floor

The use of the floor was essential for many artists in the exhibition since the repudiation of the base was vital to the artistic works represented here. Furthermore, the use of color characterized the primary structures, and this was especially true with the younger English artists such as Peter Phillips who used stripped ribbon shapes in his artwork (Altshuler, Bruce &Greenberg, p.227). Following the exhibition, the primary structures took over the New York art world given that in the same year it was the subject of the annual Art exhibition and as well, the primary structures artists became very popular.

Cited Work

Altshuler, Bruce, and Mark Greenberg. The avant-garde in exhibition: New art in the 20th century. New York: Abrams, 1994.