Robert Morris

Sculptor and painter Robert Morris pioneered many of the major artistic movements of the 1960s and 1970s. He is known for his role in defining the Minimalist movement in the mid-'60s after publishing an influential series of articles in New York and exhibiting his large conceptual, geometric sculptures that embodied many concepts of Minimalism.

In addition, Morris contributed to the development of performance art, land art, Process art, and installation art. His work in the 1970s was characterized by the use of ephemeral and experimental materials to create impermanent sculptures that challenged the physicality of the art object. His style changed in the 1980s when he returned to drawing and painting, integrating them with sculpture to produce dark, apocalyptic visions.

Although much of Morris's greatest work no longer physically exists due to its transient quality, it lives on as a contribution to the history of art in photographs and written documentation.

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Articles

Art & Stonewall: “None of Us Are Free Unless We’re All Free”
Art & Stonewall: “None of Us Are Free Unless We’re All Free”
Quiz: Match the Minimalist with the Right Cube
Quiz: Match the Minimalist with the Right Cube
Eleven Art Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List
Eleven Art Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List
Robert Rauschenberg's Innovations in Art
Robert Rauschenberg's Innovations in Art
7 Coppenhagen Artists You Need to Know
7 Coppenhagen Artists You Need to Know
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3 Californian Sculptors You Need to Know
What Was Post-Minimalism? A Primer
What Was Post-Minimalism? A Primer
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10 Artists to Watch This August
Land Art Road Trip, Part 2: Washington State
Land Art Road Trip, Part 2: Washington State
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10 Artists to Watch This March
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6 Artworks to Invest in This August
The Philosophy of Jeff Koons in 20 Homilies
The Philosophy of Jeff Koons in 20 Homilies
The Intellectual Origins of Minimalism
The Intellectual Origins of Minimalism
10 of Art History's Most Important Defunct Galleries
10 of Art History's Most Important Defunct Galleries
Dan Graham on How to Use His Met "Pavilion"
Dan Graham on How to Use His Met "Pavilion"
How Light & Space Art Lit Up the Avant-Garde
How Light & Space Art Lit Up the Avant-Garde
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10 Exhibitions That Changed Contemporary Art
The Artful Words of Lawrence Weiner
The Artful Words of Lawrence Weiner
6 Artworks to Invest in This February
6 Artworks to Invest in This February
A Squiggly, Neon-Lit Guide to Post-Minimalism
A Squiggly, Neon-Lit Guide to Post-Minimalism
How the Art World Caught Archive Fever
How the Art World Caught Archive Fever