Post from Doug Witmer
Hello artblog:
I know you’re paraphrasing Schjeldal here:
“without the spiritual component in works by artists like Rothko and Martin, minimalism ain’t great.” (Right, Rothko’s “No. 36 [Black Stripe]”)
I get batty when work that is distilled or reductive automatically gets lumped in with Minimalism…whether or not it’s intended to be flattering or critical. (…protecting my own turf, I guess…)
I don’t think Rothko or Martin (left, Agnes Martin’s “Praise”) ever associated or associate themselves with Minimalism at all. In fact, Agnes Martin has said in an interview that she has always thought of her impulses as more expressionist. I’ll try to find the quote.
–Douglas Witmer shows at Peng Gallery
