Mad Ad
Ad Reinhardt was a New York based abstract expressionist artist. He studied art history and philosophy in the 1930s, but wouldn’t start painting until around 1936. Reinhardt’s concepts are influenced by Cubism and Constructivism, while his compositions were inspired by Mondrian’s De Stijl. While his contemporaries were experimenting with figurative works of the Surrealist movement, Reinhardt worked in abstraction from the very beginning. He was influenced by Islamic art and East Asian paintings and philosophy.
In Abstract Painting, 1963, Reinhardt aims to create a relation-less, disinterested painting through subtle subtle hues and shades of black using a 3×3 grid.
Abstract Painting, 1960-61 has the same purpose as 1963. These two paintings surprised me as I did not notice the grid and hues at first glance.
Abstract Painting, 1967 consists of a black grid that has no symbolism. The piece is made to be purely optically pleasing.
Like his previous pieces, Abstract Painting, 1952, aims to be completely static. Strong Reds pop out at the viewer while the Weaker ones recede.
Number 107 is a monochromatic exploration on the vertical format. The harsh strokes emulate a linear and modular brick wall.
While I have a hard time wrapping my head around Ad Reinhardt’s work, I cannot deny I gravitate to the simplicity and ominousness of them. I feel that minimal abstract art must be experienced in person rather than through the screen to really experience them.
Would the painting art for art’s sake and the pursuit of removing subjectivity from the pieces echo the ideologies of painting for visual pleasure of the Mannerists?
Honorable Mentions
Franz Kline
Clyfford Still
Sources
- https://www.moma.org/artists/4856?=undefined&page=&direction=
- https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/ad-reinhardt
- https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/ad-reinhardt-1826