Minmal Abstraction - Old and New

I saw a lot of minimal abstraction in New York and the more I see the more I enjoy it. These images don't even come close to the first-hand experience which is part of what made these works so alluring. The black paint on a Reinhardt painting is something that just doesn't translate to photos, prints, reproductions or anything else. I've been a lot more interested in the surfaces of my own paintings lately, so there was a lot to learn while looking at these works:

Malevich's ''White on White"

Malevich's ''White on White" - detail

Ad Reinhardt - Gorgeous black painting - one of the most perfect surfaces I've ever seen. Like a soft, warm, matte black hole - doesn't look like anything in the photo but it was pretty incredible in person.

Rothko paintings

Stella

Donald Judd

Donald Judd

Kate Shepherd

Kate Shepherd

Kate Shepherd - although hard to see in these photos, Shepherd has white geometric line drawings on these shiny surfaces.

Shallow / Deep Space and the works of Kate Shepherd

Kate Shepherd, 'As the hart panteth after the water brooks'
Black Floor and Dark Yellow Walls, 2004
Enamel & oil on panel
80 x 99 inches


My sketch at the Indianapolis Art Museum of the above painting by Kate Shepherd. It took me awhile to figure out the pattern. I was really intrigued by this piece because of its balance of depth and flatness - the pattern makes the floor recede, but the yellow is nearly flat. There is a minor value change from the left side to the right which was less emphasized in person. Another thing that is difficult to translate to pixels is the gloss of this painting - She used a extremely glossy enamel on this piece which added to the depth.

Kate Shepherd, Clay Steps to Sea and Striped Sky, 2004
Enamel & oil on panel
60 x 90 inches (152.4 x 228.6 cm)

The way she breaks up empty space with separate panels interested me and influenced this piece from last year:

Nathan Abels
"Highway Audience"
Acrylic on Panels (each 24x36")

Kate Shepherd, Brave Tailor's Swath, Lit Lake on Small Midnight Billboard, 2006
Oil and enamel on panel
60 x 84 inches (152.4 x 213.4 cm)

This piece reminds me of the 'Seascape' series of photography of Hiroshi Sugimoto (below)

as well as the minimal works of Brice Marden like this:


Brice Marden, "Grove IV". 1976, Oil and Wax on Canvas, two panels, 72x108 overall