Lucy Ewert

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access - With Distinction

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Contemporary Art

First Advisor

Betsy Thomas

Second Advisor

Maria Sancho-Arroyo

Abstract

Academics, critics, curators, and artists alike have perpetually struggled to agree on a coherent definition of Minimalism since its inception. Who is included in the historical canon, what its defining characteristics are, and the movement's legacy have long since been contested. This thesis will explore the origins of Minimalism, tracing its emergence from movements such as Abstract Expressionism, and discuss the early values that shaped its perception through a handful of fundamental voices. The study will also survey three of Minimalism’s modernist predecessors, questioning the extent of influence these movements may have had.  Understanding the origins of Minimalism will set the stage for a deeper exploration of the paramount 1966 exhibit, Primary Structures. Primary Structures functioned not just as an exhibition, but as a mechanism of canon formation, ultimately solidifying a narrow and exclusionary definition of Minimalism. By considering who was left out of the historical canon, we begin to understand that Minimalism’s supposed neutrality was a myth. This concept is illustrated directly through the reframing of Primary Structures, Other Primary Structures, which was a comprehensive correction of the original, on an increasingly gender-inclusive and global scale. This reframing of Minimalism has extended to its cultural afterlife, as evidenced in contemporary architecture, fashion, and product design, revealing the contradictions between its historical intent and contemporary function. The formation of the canon, probing of exclusions, and exploration of its ongoing legacy support the idea that Minimalism was always more diverse than its history allowed, inviting us to question the extent to which institutions shape historical memory and the power and limits of reframing.

Distinction

1

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