Minimalism emerged in the United States in the late 1950s, in a reaction to the emotiveness of Abstract Expressionism. Minimalist artists stressed bare geometric form, stripping away colors and textures, and leaving only shapes and lines to create an aesthetic that is still influential today, particularly in the fields of architecture and industrial design.
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| "Chicken Egg, Polished, Raw, Size 0" by Karin Sander |
The current exhibition at the Chiba City Museum of Art explores this contemporary art movement with 38 works by 31 artists from around the world, including the movement's most important innovators -- Carl Andre, Donald Judd and Sol LeWitt.
"Minimal Maximal: Minimal Art and Its Influence on International Art of the 1990s," until June 3 at the Chiba City Museum of Art, 3-10-8 Chuo, Chuo-ku, Chiba-shi, a 15-minute walk from JR Chiba Station's East Exit. A free shuttle bus departs every 30 minutes from Bus Stop No. 19. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Friday until 8 p.m.); closed Monday. Admission 1,000 yen for adults, 700 yen for students and 300 yen for children. For more information, contact the museum at (043) 227-8600.
Bus tour of Chiba museums
A bus tour from Tokyo to the Chiba City Museum of Art and the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art in the city of Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, is offered on weekends. The bus departs from the Marunouchi Exit of Tokyo Station at 10 a.m. and returns at 7 p.m. The fee is 3,800 yen for adults and 3,400 yen for students. For reservations, call the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art at (043) 498-2131.
The Kawamura museum is currently showing an exhibition of work by Gerhard Richter, a leading German contemporary artist, until May 27.