Origins of Minimalist Painting:

Minimalism, as an art movement, emerged in New York City during the early 1960s, marking a significant shift in the visual arts landscape. This movement began among artists who were self-consciously renouncing recent art that had become stale and academic. Minimalism is also commonly referred to as an American Movement. This new art form favoured the cool over the dramatic, and their sculptures were often fabricated from industrial materials, emphasising anonymity over the expressive excess of Abstract Expressionism. The painters and sculptors focused on and drew attention to the materiality of the artworks rather than their symbolism and emotional content. Characterised by extreme simplicity of form and a literal, objective approach, Minimalism sought to strip art down to its fundamental features, removing personal expression and metaphor to focus solely on the artwork's physical presence. And by the end of the 1970s, Minimalism had triumphed in both America and Europe, thanks to the influence of museum curators, art dealers, publications, and new systems of private and government patronage.  

In the United States, Minimalism developed as a reaction against the emotional intensity and subjectivity of Abstract Expressionism. Some of the prominent artists associated with this movement include Ad Reinhardt, Nassos Daphnis, Tony Smith, Donald Judd, and others.  Notably, Russian painter Kazimir Malevich's 1915 work "Black Square" is a piece of minimalist art that epitomised simplicity. The piece is a composition of a black square on a white background. Similarly, the De Stijl movement, led by Piet Mondrian, and the Bauhaus school emphasised simplicity, geometric forms, and a limited colour palette, influencing the minimalist aesthetic. Frank Stella was also a significant figure associated with Minimalism, whose early "pinstripe" paintings (the earliest group of which are also referred to as the Black Paintings) were included in the 1959 show "16 Americans," organised by Dorothy Miller at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Stella's piece was a minimalist artwork. Moreover, some of the famous minimalist artworks include Sol LeWitt's Wall Drawings, which are stored in the Lisson Gallery in London and at MASS MoCA.  

The influence of Minimalism extended beyond the visual arts, impacting architecture, design, and music. Its principles of simplicity, clarity, and focus on essential elements resonated across disciplines, leading to a broader minimalist aesthetic in various aspects of culture. Minimalism emerged as a response to preceding art movements, advocating for a reduction to essentials and a focus on the artwork's inherent qualities. Through its emphasis on simplicity and objectivity, Minimalism has left a lasting impact on the art world and continues to influence contemporary artistic practices.