MINUS SPACE’s chronology includes major events, exhibitions, and writings regarding the development of reductive art on the international level.
To contribute information, please email MINUS SPACE.
| year | europe | south america | north america | australia / asia / africa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | "Los Disidentes" form as a group in Paris in 1950; During the 1940s, a group of young Venezuelan artists rejected the traditional education offered by Caracas’ art schools and went abroad in search of fresh ideas and new opportunities. "Los Disidentes" reject the landscape painting and Nativist styles that are then popular in Venezuela and become devotees of geometric abstraction; The expatriate Venezuelans present themselves as an avant-garde collective, in synch with the latest developments in the international art world. The group includes artists Alejandro Otero, Mateo Manaure, Narciso Debourg, Pascual Navarro, Perán Erminy, Carlos González Bogen, Aimée Battistini, Armando Barrios, Luis Guevara Moreno, Dora Hersen, Rubén Núñez, dancer Belén Núñez, and philosopher J.M. Guillent Pérez; They are later joined by César Enríquez, Alirio Oramas, Oswaldo Vigas, Genaro Moreno, Omar Carreño, Miguel Arroyo, Régulo Pérez and Luis E. Chávez; The artists begin publishing a controversial journal, also called "Los Disidentes"; The work of Los Disidentes begin to forge a new path for art in their native Venezuela, where artists and intellectuals seek to create a cosmopolitan culture Carlos Cruz-Diez, Jesús Rafael Soto, and other Venezuelan artists living in Paris in the 1950s contribute significantly to the development of kinetic art; Building on a foundation of geometric abstraction and influenced by the work of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, kinetic artists develop abstract works with kinetic and optical effects, forging a direct relationship between technology and art; Kinetic art is not a purely visual form but rather a perceptive one that involves tactile and auditory, as well as visual, experience; Kinetic work requires spectators to actively participate in an art experience; the introduction of viewer movement into a work of art is one of Kinetic art’s most valuable achievements; Cruz-Diez carries out an exhaustive investigation of color, leading him to optical illusions in which colors that are not physically present in the work are perceived by the eye; Soto experiments with light and movement with the goal of creating a state of “pure vibration” in works that could be passed in front of or walked through Victor Vasarely becomes interested in the effects of visual vibrations Wolfgang Laib is born Gerhard Mantz is born in Neu-Ulm, Germany |
Swiss Concrete artist Max Bill's exhibition at the Museu de Arte in São Paulo, Brazil; Contributes greatly to the development of Brazilian Concrete abstraction Concrete Art movement begins in Brazil; Grounded in the theories of the Bauhaus, Concrete artists work with the rigid formulas of mathematical equations and the pragmatic logic of architecture After 1950, geometric and constructive art – particularly optical and Kinetic art – takes off in Venezuela; Among the Venezuelan artists working in geometric abstraction are Alejandro Otero, Jesús Rafael Soto, Omar Carreño, Mateo Manaure, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Carlos González Bogen, Ramón Vásquez Brito, Pascual Navarro, Luis Guevara Moreno, Víctor Valera, Elsa Gramcko, Oswaldo Vigas, and Gego Lygia Clark travels to Paris to study painting; Studies with Fernand Leger Jesús Rafael Soto relocates to Paris, France |
Josef Albers begins teaching at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (through 1960); Begins "Homage to the Square" series, which he will focus on through 1976 Barnett Newman mounts first solo exhibition in New York Richard Bottwin is born in Jersey City, New Jersey |
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| 1951 | Max Bill helps found and teaches at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm, Germany (1951-1956) Ralph Eck is born in Unterpörlitz bei Limenau, Germany David Thomas is born on August 22 in Belfast, North Ireland Katarzyna Kobro dies in Poland |
Swiss Concrete artist Max Bill wins the sculpture prize at the first São Paulo Bienal, Brazil | Andrew Ritchie organizes the exhibition "Abstract Painting and Sculpture in America" at the Museum of Modern Art, New York Burgoyne Diller mounts his third solo exhibition at Rose Fried Gallery (formerly The Pinacotheca) Robert Rauschenberg begins painting his "White Paintings" Charmion von Wiegand becomes President of American Abstract Artists (1951-53) Dorothea Rockburne studies at Black Mountain College, Asheville, North Carolina (thru 1955) Tibor de Nagy Gallery opens in New York, New York Craig Ellwood designs and builds Case Study House, No. 16, in Los Angeles, CA |
Stephen Bambury is born in Christchurch, New Zealand |
| 1952 | Wladyslaw Strzemenski dies on December 26 in Lodz, Poland Gerald Rockenschaub is born in Linz, Austria Elmer is born in Copenhagen, Denmark Renaud Jacquier-Stajnowicz is born in France |
Concrete art collective "Grupo Frente" is founded by abstract artist Ivan Serpa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; The group’s members included the brothers César and Hélio Oiticica, Décio Vieira, Aluísio Carvão, João José da Costa, and Lygia Pape; Grupo Frente is interested in representing organic forms in their work while remaining within the nonfigurative, geometric conventions of Concrete art "Grupo Ruptura" was founded by artists Waldemar Cordeiro, Luís Sacilotto, Lothar Charoux, Geraldo de Barros, Kazmer Féjer, Leopold Haar, and Anatol Wladislaw in São Paulo, Brazil; They were followers of the theoretical principles of international Concrete art - based on theories elaborated by the Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg in 1930 and taken up after his death by the Swiss artist Max Bill; "Grupo Ruptura" promoted objectivity, seeking to exclude representation and eliminate any trace of subjectivity in works of art; Form was the essential element of any painting, color was subordinate |
Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunningham, and John Cage collaborate at Black Mountain College, North Carolina John Cage's 4'33" is performed by David Tudor in Woodstock, New York Tanager Gallery and Hansa Gallery open in New York, New York starting the run of 10th Street artist-run cooperatives John McLaughlin mounts first solo exhibition at Felix Landau Gallery in Los Angeles, California Don Voisine is born in Fort Kent, Maine Alan Ebnother is born in Alameda, California Russell Maltz is born in Brooklyn, New York |
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| 1953 | The first issue of "spirale" is published, a review founded by Marcel Wyss, Dieter Roth, and Eugen Gomringer in Bern, Switzerland; Published until 1963 Antoine Perrot is born in Toulon, France |
Swiss Concrete artist Max Bill returns to Brazil to lecture "Grupo Frente’s" first exhibition presented at the Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos (Brazil-United States Cultural Institute) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The first national Brazilian exhibition of abstract art is held in Petropolis, Brazil |
Martha Jackson Gallery opens in New York, New York Morgan Russell dies on May 29 in Broomall, Pennsylvania Peter Halley is born on September 26 in New York, New York Stephen Westfall is born in Schenectady, New York Joan Waltemath is born in Nebraska Beauford Delaney leaves New York for Europe, settling in Paris |
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| 1954 | Max Bill's essay "The Mathematical Approach in Contemporary Art" drawing attention to the significance of mathematical thinking in art is published in Arts and Architecture Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart moves to Ulm, Germany Rolf Eisenberg is born in Sigmaringen, Germany Willi Otremba is born in Bochum, Germany Hans Luckhardt dies on October 8 in Berlin, Germany Franz Singer dies on October 5 in Berlin, Germany Nikolaj Michajlovich Suetin dies in Leningrad, Russia Thomas Kalthoff is born in Essen, Germany |
Daniel Feingold is born in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil | Ralph Humphrey begins making monochrome paintings Agnes Martin begins making her first semi-abstract work in Taos, New Mexico; Betty Parsons sees her work, buys 5 paintings from her, and invites her to join her gallery; Parsons stipulates that Martin move to New York City Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designs the Seagram Building in New York, NY Ellsworth Kelly returns to New York from Paris The Whitney Museum of American Art moves to West 54th Street in New York City Robert Gober is born Jill Baroff is born in Summit, New Jersey Carmen Herrera moves permanently to New York, NY |
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| 1955 | Vasarely, Yaacov Agam, Jean Tinguely, Pol Bury, Jesús Rafael Soto, and others are included in the exhibition "Le Mouvement" at the Galerie Denise René in Paris that launched the Kinetic Art movment Václav Fiala is born in Klatovy, Czech Republic Uwe Kubiak is born in Aachen, Germany Beat Zoderer is born in Zurich, Switzerland Willi Baumeister dies on August 31 in Stuttgart, Germany Fernand Léger dies on August 17 in Gif-sur-Yvette, Seine-et-Oise Ruth Campau is born on th island of Mors, Denmark |
Grupo Frente's second exhibition at Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Lygia Clark works on a house project with architect Oscar Niemeyer, Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
David Diao relocates from China to the United States Roni Horn is born Philip Taaffe is born in Elizabeth, New Jersey Michael Rouillard is born in Valparaiso, Florida |
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| 1956 | Alexander Rodchenko dies in Moscow, Russia Josef Hartwig dies on November 13 in Frankfurt, Germany Edgar Hecht dies in Tel Aviv, Israel Iwan Puni (Jean Pougny) dies in Paris, France Rudolf Stingel is born in Merano, Italy |
Helio Oiticica develops work along abstract and concrete lines in gouache on paper The first national exhibition of Concrete art opens in São Paulo and travels to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; During the exhibition, São Paulo's geometric artist group, "Grupo Ruptura", attacked the members of "Grupo Frente", accusing them of lacking structural rigor in their works and permitting lyrical expression; "Grupo Frente" breaks up |
John Cage begins teaching at the New York School for Social Research (through 1960); His class influences future Fluxus artists Pierre Koenig designs and builds the Bailey House, Case Study House No. 21, in Los Angeles, CA John and Nicholas Krushenick found Brata Gallery on 10th Street in New York, NY; Al Held and George Sugarman are among the first exhibiting artists Ralph Humphrey moves to New York City Warren Isensee is born in Asheville, North Carolina Gilbert Hsiao is born in Pennsylvania; Raised in Terre Haute, Indiana |
The exhibition "Direction 1", held at the Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, Australia, broadens interest in abstract art Andrew Leslie is born in Australia |
| 1957 | The book "Kalte Kunst?: zum Standort der heutigen Malerei" by Karl Gerstner is published Frantisek Kupka dies on Juen 21 in Puteaux, Paris France Wyndham Lewis dies on March 7 in London, England Günter Wolf is born in Kreuznach, Germany Karin Sander is born Ernst Louis Beck dies on June 19 in Ebingen, Württemberg Tumi Magnusson is born in Reykjavik, Iceland |
Helio Oiticica begins production of "Metaesquemas"; Participates in the exhibition "Modern Art in Brazil" at the Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina Brazilian Concrete group's second collective exhibition in Rio de Janeiro; Group begins to fracture along geographical lines; São Paulo artists, known as "Grupo Ruptura", focus on the pure visual experience of form, excluding any symbolic references in their paintings Gego makes first sculpture encouraged by Alejandro Otero and Jesus Rafael Soto; Participates in the exhibition "Arte Abstracto en Venezuela", along with Otero, Soto, and Cruz-Diez Mathias Goeritz and Luis Barragan collaborate on the Towers of Satellite City in Mexico City, Mexico Lygia Clark studies the work of Josef and Anni Albers |
Black Mountain College in North Carolina is closed due to lack of funds Agnes Martin moves to New York City; She locates to Coenties Slip near Wall Street; Neighbors included Ellsworth Kelly, Lenore Tawney, Jack Youngerman, and Robert Indiana; Barnett Newman had a studio nearby Leo Castelli and Ileana Sonnabend (later marrried name) found Leo Castelli Gallery in their living room in New York, New York The Metropolitan Museum of Art buys Jackson Pollock's painting "Autumn Rhythm" for $30,000, stunning the art world Donald Judd mounts first solo exhibition at Panoras Gallery in New York Felix Gonzalez-Torres is born |
Billy Gruner is born on September 11 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Christopher Snee is born in Melbourne, Australia |
| 1958 | "Movimento arte concreta", an Italian art movement founded in Milan in December 1948, disbands after the death of its founder Gianni Monnet The first issue of "structure" is published, an annual on new art, edited by J. Baljeu; Published until 1964 Giacomo Balla dies on March 1 in Rome, Italy Jean Crotti dies on January 30 in Paris, France Bart van der Leck dies on November 13 in Blaricum, The Netherlands Martin Willing is born in Bocholt, Germany Maik Löbbert is born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany Heimo Zobernig is born in Mauthen, Austria |
Gego begins working with volumes, using aluminum and steel geometric planes Lygia Clark exhibits with Lothar Charoux and Franz Weissmann at the Galeria de Arte das Folhas |
Josef Albers retires as Chair of Department of Design at Yale University; Remains a visiting professor until 1960 The Whitney Museum of American Art and Museum of Modern Art acquires works by Burgoyne Diller; He begins working with Galerie Chalette; His first solo exhibition is mounted in May 1961 Jasper Johns mounts first solo exhibition a Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, New York Yayoi Kusama moves from Japan to New York City Joe Overstreet moves to New York City Kevin Finklea is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Marcie Miller Gross is born in Kansas City, Kansas Steven Parrino is born in New York, New York |
David Thomas arrives in Australia Jurek Wybraniec is born in Perth, Australia |
| 1959 | Tilman is born in Munich, Germany Daniel Göttin is born in Basel, Switzerland Michael Mork is born in Herning, Denmark |
Brazilian poet Ferreira Gullar publishes the "Manifesto neoconcreto" marking the emergence of the Neo-Concrete movement and the end of collaboration between the Brazilian Concrete artists from Rio de Janeiro, Grupo Ruptura, and São Paulo, "Grupo Frente"; The schism widens during the first exhibition of Neo-Concrete art at the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Neo-Concrete art, a reaction against the rationalism of art, espoused a creative freedom that linked it closer to the ideals of "Grupo Frente"; Founding members included Lygia Clark, Amílcar de Castro, Franz Weissmann,and Lygia Pape; Hélio Oiticica, Aluísio Carvão, Willys de Castro, and Hércules Barsotti joined shortly thereafter "Grupo Ruptura" disbanded in São Paulo, Brazil Carlos Cruz-Diez makes a short film about Gego's sculptures entitled, "Movement and Vibration in Space: A Sculpture by Gego", edited at Iowa State University; Gego travels to USA for one year, lives in Iowa; Makes sculpture Esfera (Sphere) Helio Oiticica experiments on the transition from canvas to three-dimensional space; Begins to develop his "Inventions" also called "Monochromatics"; Works on the "White Paintings, Bilateral and Spatial Reliefs"; Classifies his work as non-objects (following Ferreira Gullar's Theory of the Non-Object) Lygia Clark participates in exhibition Brasilianischer Kunstler at the Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany |
"Sixteen Americans" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York; Curated by Dorothy Miller; The 23-year-old Frank Stella exhibits four of his "Black Paintings" "Four Abstract Classicists" exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art, includes artists John McLaughlin, Lorser Feitelson, Karl Benjamin and Frederick Hammersley, curated by Jules Langsner; Travels to Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Institute of Contemporary Art in London, and Queens University in Belfast Donald Judd begins writing for Arts Magazine Carl Andre begins making repetitive-shaped sculptures Frank Stella declares himself an opponent of "relational" painting Robert Ryman begins making monochrome white canvases Allan Kaprow stages "18 Happenings in 6 Parts" in New York, New York The Museum of Non-Objective Painting is renamed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and opens its first permanent home on 5th Avenue in New York, New York; Building is designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright Al Held mounts first solo exhibition at Poindexter Gallery in New York, New York Daniel Levine is born in New York, NY |
Rose Nolan is born in Melbourne, Australia Vicente Butron is born in Manila, The Philippines |
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