Claude Minière on Barnett Newman's Time and Space
Claude Minière revisits the works of Barnett Newman in an essay for art press, emphasizing the themes of time and space. Newman, a New York native born in 1905 to Polish Jewish parents, encountered numerous challenges early in life, including his father's unsuccessful clothing venture and his own struggles with teaching exams. He studied ornithology alongside his wife, Annalee Greenhouse, which inspired his "zip" motif. In 1948, Newman produced "Onement 1" (69 x 41 cm, oil on canvas), later gifted to MoMA by Annalee, marking his transition from "images" to "paintings." The title alludes to "one" and "atonement." His significant work, "Day Before One" (335 x 127 cm), created in 1951 and housed at Kunstmuseum Basel, features a prominent vertical blue field. Minière posits that Newman's exploration of time is crucial. This essay is published in art press, which showcased Newman on its inaugural cover in 1972.
Key facts
- Barnett Newman was born in 1905 in New York to Jewish immigrant parents from Poland.
- His father's clothing business failed during the Great Depression of 1929.
- He failed exams for a public teaching position.
- He wrote an essay on Roger Fry and admired Baudelaire's criticism.
- With Annalee Greenhouse, he studied ornithology, observing birds' vertical dives.
- In 1948, he created 'Onement 1' (69 x 41 cm), later donated to MoMA by Annalee.
- The true breakthrough was 'Day Before One' (1951, 335 x 127 cm), held by Kunstmuseum Basel.
- Claude Minière's essay appears in art press, which featured Newman on its first cover in 1972.
Entities
Artists
- Barnett Newman
- Claude Minière
- Roger Fry
- Charles Baudelaire
- Le Corbusier
Institutions
- art press
- MoMA
- Kunstmuseum Basel
- Gallimard
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Poland
- Russian Empire
- Basel
- Switzerland
Sources
- artpress —