The Impact of Robert Morris Notes Sculpture Pdf on Minimalism and Post-Minimalism
Robert Morris Notes Sculpture Pdf Download
If you are interested in contemporary art, especially in sculpture, you might have heard of Robert Morris and his influential writings on this subject. In this article, we will introduce you to Robert Morris, his notes on sculpture, and why they are important for understanding and appreciating modern art. We will also show you how to download the notes on sculpture pdf from various online sources.
Robert Morris Notes Sculpture Pdf Download
Who is Robert Morris?
Robert Morris (1931-2018) was an American artist who played a key role in shaping minimalism and post-minimalism in the 1960s and 1970s. He was also a prolific writer who published many essays and books on art theory and criticism.
Morris was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and studied engineering, philosophy, and art history at various universities. He served in the Korean War as an engineer before moving to New York in 1956 to pursue a career as an artist. He initially worked as an abstract painter influenced by expressionism and geometric abstraction.
In the early 1960s, Morris began to experiment with different media and forms of art, such as dance, performance, installation, earthworks, conceptual art, and sculpture. He became interested in the physical and spatial aspects of art, as well as the perceptual and psychological effects of art on the viewer. He also collaborated with other artists, such as Yvonne Rainer, Carolee Schneemann, and Donald Judd.
Morris is best known for his minimalist sculptures, which consist of simple and geometric shapes made of industrial materials, such as plywood, steel, fiberglass, and concrete. These sculptures are often arranged in grids, rows, or clusters that occupy and transform the space of the gallery. Some examples of his minimalist sculptures are Box with the Sound of Its Own Making (1961), L-Beams (1965), and Untitled (Mirrored Cubes) (1965).
In the late 1960s and 1970s, Morris shifted to a more post-minimalist approach, which involved using softer and more organic materials, such as felt, rubber, dirt, and rope. These materials allowed him to create sculptures that were more flexible, dynamic, and unpredictable. Some examples of his post-minimalist sculptures are Continuous Project Altered Daily (1969), Scatter Piece (1970), and Steam (1967-1998).
Morris continued to explore new forms and themes in his later works, such as nuclear war, memory, history, and politics. He also revisited some of his earlier works and reinterpreted them in different contexts. He died in 2018 at the age of 87.
What are the notes on sculpture?
The notes on sculpture are a series of four essays that Robert Morris wrote between 1966 and 1968. They were published in the influential art magazine Artforum and later collected in a book titled Continuous Project Altered Daily: The Writings of Robert Morris.
The notes on sculpture are considered to be one of the most important and influential writings on sculpture theory and practice in the 20th century. They offer a comprehensive and critical analysis of the nature and possibilities of sculpture as an art form that is distinct from painting and other media. They also reflect Morris's own artistic experiments and innovations in minimalism and post-minimalism.
The notes on sculpture are divided into four parts, each focusing on a different aspect or problem of sculpture. Here is a summary of each part:
Part 1: The nature of sculpture
In this part, Morris defines sculpture as a concrete and literal art form that is not concerned with illusionism or representation. He argues that sculpture is based on the physical and spatial facts of space, light, and materials. He also claims that sculpture is different from painting in that it does not depend on a flat surface or a frame to define its boundaries.
Morris writes: "Sculpture never having been involved with illusionism could not possibly have based the efforts of fifty years upon the rather pious, if somewhat contradictory act of giving up this illusionism and approaching the object. Save for replication which is not to be confused with illusionism, the sculptural facts of space, light, materials have always functioned concretely and literally."
Part 2: The gestalt of sculpture
In this part, Morris explores the perceptual and psychological aspects of sculpture, such as size, scale, shape, orientation, and duration. He argues that these factors affect how the viewer experiences and responds to sculpture. He also suggests that sculpture can create different types of gestalts or wholes that are more than the sum of their parts.
Morris writes: "The experience of size in relation to scale is one aspect of gestalt psychology which has been neglected by most artists except those working in architecture or city planning. Size determines an object but scale determines art."
Part 3: The unitary forms of sculpture
In this part, Morris advocates for simple and geometric forms that avoid composition, hierarchy, or illusionism. He argues that these forms allow for a more direct and immediate experience of sculpture that does not rely on any external references or meanings. He also criticizes some of the traditional conventions and assumptions of sculpture making.
Morris writes: "The simplicity of shape does not necessarily equate with simplicity of experience. Unitary forms do not reduce relationships. They order them."
Part 4: The anti-form of sculpture
In this part, Morris challenges the notion of fixed and stable forms and introduces concepts such as process, entropy, indeterminacy, and contingency. He argues that these concepts open up new possibilities for sculpture that are more responsive to the changing conditions of time and space. He also experiments with new materials and techniques that create more dynamic and unpredictable forms.
Why are the notes on sculpture important?
The notes on sculpture are important because they offer a comprehensive and critical perspective on the nature and possibilities of sculpture as an art form. They also reflect and influence the artistic developments and movements of the 1960s and 1970s, especially minimalism and post-minimalism.
The influence of the notes on sculpture on minimalism
Minimalism is an artistic movement that emerged in the 1960s and rejected expressionism and formalism. Minimalist artists aimed to create simple and geometric forms that did not convey any personal or emotional meanings. They also focused on the physical and spatial aspects of art, such as materials, size, scale, and location.
The notes on sculpture helped to define the characteristics and goals of minimalism as an artistic movement. Morris was one of the leading figures of minimalism and his sculptures exemplified the minimalist aesthetic. He also articulated some of the key concepts and principles of minimalism, such as unitary forms, literalness, gestalt, and viewer participation.
Morris wrote: "The better new work takes relationships out of the work and makes them a function of space, light, and the viewer's field of vision. The object is but one of the terms in the newer aesthetic."
The influence of the notes on sculpture on post-minimalism
Post-minimalism is an artistic movement that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s and challenged some of the assumptions and limitations of minimalism. Post-minimalist artists experimented with new materials, techniques, and forms that were more flexible, dynamic, and unpredictable. They also explored themes such as process, entropy, indeterminacy, and contingency.
The notes on sculpture inspired post-minimalist artists to expand and diversify the possibilities of sculpture. Morris was one of the pioneers of post-minimalism and his sculptures demonstrated some of the post-minimalist strategies. He also introduced some of the key concepts and terms of post-minimalism, such as anti-form, scatter piece, felt piece, and steam piece.
Morris wrote: "The scattering or dispersal of materials in these works suggests a random piling or loose stacking which can produce qualities which interest me: dispersal; disengagement; segmentation; indeterminacy."
The relevance of the notes on sculpture today
The notes on sculpture are still relevant today because they offer insights and questions for current artists and critics who are interested in the nature and possibilities of sculpture. They also provide a historical and theoretical framework for understanding and appreciating some of the most influential sculptures of the 20th century.
The notes on sculpture challenge us to think about what sculpture is, what it can do, and how it can affect us. They also invite us to experience sculpture in a direct and immediate way that does not depend on any preconceived notions or expectations. They also encourage us to explore new forms and materials that can create new sensations and meanings.
Morris wrote: "Sculpture is not made to be photographed but to exist in real space with all its ambiguities."
How to download the notes on sculpture pdf?
If you want to read the notes on sculpture pdf in full, you have several options to access and download it from various online sources. Here is a guide on how to do it:
The Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a website that provides free access to millions of books, documents, audio files, video files, images, and websites. It is a non-profit organization that aims to preserve and provide digital information for everyone.
You can use the Internet Archive website to find and download the notes on sculpture pdf for free. Here are the steps:
Go to https://archive.org/ in your web browser.
In the search box at the top right corner, type "Morris Robert 1966 1968 Notes On Sculpture Parts 1 2" (without quotation marks) and hit enter.
You will see a list of results that match your search query. Click on the one that says "Morris Robert 1966 1968 Notes On Sculpture Parts 1 2".
You will see a page that shows information about the document, such as the title, author, date, and description. You will also see a preview of the document on the right side.
On the right side, you will see a menu that says "Download Options". Click on the option that says "PDF".
A new window will open that will ask you to save the file to your computer. Choose a location and a name for the file and click "Save".
You have successfully downloaded the notes on sculpture pdf to your computer. You can now open it with any pdf reader and enjoy reading it.
Other websites
There are also other websites that offer the notes on sculpture pdf for download or purchase. Some of them are:
https://www.academia.edu/: This is a website that allows academics and researchers to share their papers and publications online. You can find and download the notes on sculpture pdf by searching for it on this website. However, you might need to create an account and log in to access some of the documents.
https://www.jstor.org/: This is a website that provides access to digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources. You can find and download the notes on sculpture pdf by searching for it on this website. However, you might need to pay a fee or subscribe to access some of the documents.
https://www.amazon.com/: This is a website that sells various products online, including books and ebooks. You can find and purchase the notes on sculpture pdf by searching for it on this website. However, you might need to pay a price and have a Kindle device or app to read it.
Tips and precautions
Before you download the notes on sculpture pdf from any online source, here are some tips and precautions to keep in mind:
Make sure that the website is reliable and trustworthy. Check the reviews, ratings, and feedback from other users. Avoid websites that look suspicious or have negative comments.
Make sure that the document is authentic, complete, and accurate. Check the title, author, date, and description of the document. Compare it with other sources if possible. Avoid documents that are incomplete, corrupted, or altered.
Make sure that the file is virus-free and safe to download. Scan the file with an antivirus software before opening it. Avoid files that have strange extensions, sizes, or names.
Conclusion
In this article, we have introduced you to Robert Morris, his notes on sculpture, and why they are important for contemporary art. We have also shown you how to download the notes on sculpture pdf from various online sources.
We hope that this article has been informative and helpful for you. If you are interested in learning more about Robert Morris and his notes on sculpture, we encourage you to download and read the notes on sculpture pdf yourself. You will find many insights and questions that will enrich your understanding and appreciation of sculpture as an art form.
FAQs
What is minimalism?
Minimalism is an artistic movement that emerged in the 1960s and rejected expressionism and formalism. Minimalist artists aimed to create simple and geometric forms that did not convey any personal or emotional meanings. They also focused on the physical and spatial aspects of art, such as materials, size, scale, and location.
What is post-minimalism?
Post-minimalism is an artistic movement that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s and challenged some of the assumptions and limitations of minimalism. Post-minimalist artists experimented with new materials, techniques, and forms that were more flexible, dynamic, and unpredictable. They also explored themes such as process, entropy, indeterminacy, and contingency.
Who is Robert Morris?
Robert Morris (1931-2018) was an American artist who played a key role in shaping minimalism and post-minimalism in the 1960s and 1970s. He was also a prolific writer who published many essays and books on art theory and criticism.
What are the notes on sculpture?
of sculpture as an art form that is distinct from painting and other media. They also reflect and influence the artistic developments and movements of the 1960s and 1970s, especially minimalism and post-minimalism.
How to download the notes on sculpture pdf?
You can download the notes on sculpture pdf from various online sources, such as the Internet Archive, Academia.edu, JSTOR, and Amazon. However, you should make sure that the website is reliable and trustworthy, that the document is authentic, complete, and accurate, and that the file is virus-free and safe to download.
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