Simón Marchán Fiz, “Minimal Art or Primary Structures,” translated from Spanish by Isabel Adey, originally published as “El minimal art o las estructuras primarias,” in Del arte objetual al arte concepto 1960–1974, reprint of 1974 second edition (Madrid: Akal, 1994), 97–107

Simon Marchan Fiz is one of Spain’s most eminent art historians in the field of contemporary art. In this article he offers a survey of Minimalism, focusing on American sculpture and relating it to the tradition of European and Spanish sculpture, for instance connecting Tony Smith or Donald Judd with Eduardo Chillida or other European sculptors. The development of sculpture towards overcoming the influences of Informel followed a similar course to that of painting. A “methodology” of Informel was established, oscillating between the subjective foothills of this and the new constructive subordination. The semantic meanings of these artworks operate on the level of perceptual codes and figures of recognition of elemental mathematical codes in terms of their modular structure and the simplicity of their geometry. Most Minimalist artists have written about art, including Andre, Flavin, Smithson, Morris, and others. Minimal art often draws upon the material repertoire of heavy industry, i.e. its manufactured components, for physical support.