(Pic #1) Little Alexander’s minimalist contribution to our art workshop. For him, it was more about what not to paint.
For the last 30 years I’ve had the joy of running art workshops for hundreds of inner-city kids in South Central LA. Each session offers a chance for every child to express his most creative instincts. There are no rules. No instruction. Just a few hours of unbridled artistic energy.
(Pic #2) Fearless self expression in paint, metallic powders, cotton balls, and buttons.
With that kind of freedom, we typically witness franetic applications of paint, glitter, confetti, stickers, beads and, well, pretty much anything that glue can keep on the page. (Pic #2) Layers upon layers of color, texture, and goo. It’s almost as if it’s their last day on earth, and if they don’t load up their artwork with 16 pounds of “stuff” there will be no trace they even passed through.
So when I spotted the pure red and black minimalist painting above, I freaked. Kids don’t do that. If there are jars of glitter and glue, they will be emptied. Paints are poured, poured again, and almost nothing is left on the table.
Minimalism is defined as a 1950s abstract art movement whose pieces “minimize distractions and focus on only what matters.” The boy who painted the minimalist piece on top apparently gets that. In fact, I think it takes a certain discipline and clarity of thought to eliminate objects from a painting instead of adding them.
My only regret is that I didn’t get to meet this young Ellsworth Kelly. He apparently skipped out and left his work on the sidewalk. Another perfect artist move.
A lesson to be learned