A major exhibition in both art and programming opens at Guild Hall this weekend to kick off the second half of summer. "Aspects of Minimalism: Selections from East End Collections" opens with a VIP Previews held on Friday, August 12, 2016 coinciding with Guild Hall's summer benefit, with a set of previews and a keynote lecture on Saturday, August 13, 2016. The show remains on view through October 10, 2016.
On Saturday, the public unveiling begins at 3 p.m. with a Keynote Lecture by Leonard Riggio on Philanthropy, Collecting and Minimalism. The Public Reception immediately follows and takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. On Sunday at 3 p.m., a Lecture on Dan Flavin is being held by James Meyer, Dia Art Foundation Gallery Curator, making for a full weekend ensconced in minimalism. Dan Flavin has four works in the Guild Hall exhibition.
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"Alternate Diagonals of March 2, 1964 (to Don Judd) by Dan Flavin, 1964. Daylight fluorescent light, 145 1/2 inches. Courtesy Guild Hall.
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"Aspects of Minimalism: Selections from East End Collections" features paintings and sculptures by preeminent artists associated with the movement. The show includes works by Larry Bell, Dan Flavin, Robert Irwin, Donald Judd and Agnes Martin. Works influenced by the Minimalist aesthetic are also exhibited. They include art by Josef Albers, Binky Palermo, Joseph Beuys, On Kawara, Gerhard Richter, Bridget Riley, Edward Rusha, Andy Warhol, and Rachel Whiteread. Many of the works are on loan from major private collections on the East End of Long Island and are being exhibited in public for the first time, according to the museum.
“We are fortunate to offer visitors the rare opportunity to view many stellar works by the movement’s pioneers alongside works by equally important contemporary artists influenced by the Minimalist aesthetic,” stated Exhibition Curator Christina Mossaides Strassfield, Museum Director and Chief Curator, Guild Hall Museum, in an exhibition announcement. “This dynamic dialogue highlights the extraordinary impact of Minimalism on the history of modern art and its relevance today.”
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"Ohne Title (aus PLIGHT) by Joseph Beuys, 1985. Felt, 57 7/8 x 129 7/8 x 16 inches. Courtesy Guild Hall.
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Minimalism emerged in New York as a movement in the late 1950s and continued for two decades. By presenting a simplicity of form and content, artists working in painting, sculpture, and installation sought to remove any sign of personal expressivity, and allow the viewer to experience the work more intensely without the distractions of overt symbolism, narrative, and emotional content.
There are examples of Minimalist theory as early as the 1920s in Europe, but the movement at the time of its birth was defined by new young artists who were often reacting against the gestural excesses of Abstract Expressionism, challenging the conventional boundaries between various mediums, subordinating authorship, and calling attention to the materiality of their works.
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"Wiesenfeld" by Gerhard Richter, 1965. Oil on canvas, 58 3/4 x 70 3/4 inches. Courtesy Guild Hall.
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"Aspects of Minimalism: Selections from East End Collections" investigates, for the first time on the East End, the broad range, reach and important legacy of Minimalism. The show occupies all galleries in the museum and spans six decades of art making. The earliest works were made in the late 1950s just as Minimalism began to take shape in New York. The time span concludes with art relevant to the Minimalist aesthetic from the 1990s and 2000s.
A full range of programming exploring minimalism or the exhibition specifically accompanies the show. Following is a list of highlights:
Saturday, August 13, 2016
3 to 4 p.m.: Keynote Lecture by Leonard Riggio on Philanthropy, Collecting and Minimalism
4 to 6 p.m.: Public Opening Reception for exhibition
5 to 6:30 p.m.: VIP Members Opening Reception in the Garden
Sunday, August 14, 2016
3 p.m.: Lecture on Dan Flavin by James Meyer, Dia Art Foundation Gallery Curator
Saturday, September 17, 2016
2 p.m: Gallery Talk by Museum Director/Exhibition Curator Christina Strassfield
Saturday, October 1, 2016
2 p.m.: Artist Discussions about "Aspects of Minimalism" m
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BASIC FACTS: "Aspects of Minimalism: Selections from East End Collections" is on view from August 13 to October 10, 2016. Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.guildhall.org.
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