Outside the Cubicle: Minimalism in Art

Though many people would argue that a large black cube is not art, Tony Smith's Die (1962) is just that. It serves as a catalyst for the change in society's view of art. In the 1960s, pieces like Die helped change society's opinion from one in which art should be looked at, to one in which art should be truly experienced.

For hundreds of years, society conceived artwork as those pieces that inspire awe by being looked at. Stained glass, and other artwork, was placed in churches and cathedrals before there were museums. Now, museums hang pictures on walls, placing the most valuable pieces behind ropes or laser alerts, and between security guards. In the Louvre, the Mona Lisa is roped off, and placed behind a great thickness of bulletproof glass. These security features make it even harder to experience such pieces. To be truly experienced, it is helpful to get close enough to see the artist's brushstrokes, or even to touch the surface to feel its textures.

Minimalist works broke down the barrier between the artwork and the art viewer. Some characteristics of Minimalist work include an encounter with the object by the viewer, as well as a less self-important role when compared with other art, as the most important part of the work is the experience that it structures. Die is not placed against a wall. It is placed in the middle of an area so that people have no choice but to circle it. Robert Morris' Green Gallery Installation (1964) consists of several wooden beams placed in different positions on the gallery's floor. People seeing the exhibition must walk around, or over, Morris' beams in order to pass through that particular area of the gallery. The idea that the audience must physically experience the art became popular in the 1960s, but Marcel Duchamp coined Minimalism's aphorism half a century earlier: "The viewer is responsible for at least fifty-one percent of the work."

Smith created Die out of steel, making the piece of such a size (each edge measures six feet) that it is neither a monument, nor an object, but acts as a transition between the two classifications. Instead, it is the perfect size for its purpose: to motivate the audience to "experience" it by walking around it, and viewing it from all sides. At six feet tall, high, and wide, it is just large enough that one needs to walk around it to see multiple sides. The top of Die is not so high that one cannot see it, but few are tall enough to actually look down upon it. If Die was larger, it would loom over its audience, which is a position usually saved for items that are meant to be revered, and those items that people merely regard. On the other hand, if Die was a small cube, people would still just look at it, and there would be no need to circumvent it.

Besides its transitional size, its title is another indication that Die should be viewed from all sides. The name Die suggests that it should be seen from all angles. A die is an object that one throws, expecting it to land on a different side with each toss. Therefore, when one sees Smith's cube in person, it is necessary to see all five visible sides. Since Die is too large to literally be tossed, its viewers must serve as the mobile objects in this case.

Die is just one example of a piece that exemplifies Minimalist ideals, but it is also the first one that comes to mind. Tony Smith's piece is significant not only because it came early in the movement (Die was created two years before Morris' Green Gallery Installation), but also because it's size and shape brings an altogether different experience to the audience than Morris' beams do. The cube is too tall and flat to be climbed upon, one would just slide down its side, yet it can be touched and seen. Morris' beams, however, lend themselves to being stepped over and on. Because Die serves such a clear purpose, and is transitional in several ways, it makes more impact.