Searching for a new creative vocabulary, the artists in this gallery used simplified forms and unconventional materials. They tended to reject metaphor and personal expression in favor of an emphasis on process and spatial relationships. Attracted by standardized industrial products—fluorescent lights, concrete, and fiberglass—many of these artists explored fabrication away from the studio, shifting the focus from individual authorship to collaboration. Through the use of casts, repetitive physical actions, and a preference for human scale, others incorporated the body itself as a tool. Whether by using gravity and light to engage a viewer’s physical presence or by suggesting anthropomorphic associations through the use of organic materials, the works in this gallery reflect a broader desire for a direct connection with the viewer.
Collection 1940s–1970s
413
Breaking the Mold
413
Breaking the Mold
Fall 2019–Fall 2020
MoMA

- MoMA, Floor 4, 413 The David Geffen Wing
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Giovanni Anselmo Torsion 1968
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Rasheed Araeen (3+4) SR 1969
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Richard Artschwager Mirror Blp from Locations 1969
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Jo Baer Primary Light Group: Red, Green, Blue 1964-65
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Joseph Beuys Eurasia Siberian Symphony 1963 1966
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Walter De Maria Cage II 1965
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Dan Flavin untitled (to the "innovator" of Wheeling Peachblow) 1968
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Eva Hesse Repetition Nineteen III 1968
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Sol LeWitt Cubic-Modular Wall Structure, Black 1966
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Agnes Martin The Tree 1964
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Marisa Merz Untitled 1966
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Robert Morris Untitled (Tangle) 1967
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Bruce Nauman Collection of Various Flexible Materials Separated by Layers of Grease with Holes the Size of My Waist and Wrists 1966
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Yvonne Rainer Hand Movie 1966
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Carol Rama Opera n. 11 (Renards) 1938
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Robert Ryman Classico 5 1968
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Mira Schendel Untitled from Graphic Objects (Objetos gráficos) 1967
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Anne Truitt Catawba 1962
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Lawrence Weiner A 36" X 36" REMOVAL TO THE LATHING OR SUPPORT WALL OF PLASTER OR WALLBOARD FROM A WALL 1968
Artists
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Giovanni Anselmo
Italian, born 193412 exhibitions, 5 works online -
Rasheed Araeen
Pakistani and British, born 19352 exhibitions, 1 work online -
Richard Artschwager
American, 1923–201355 exhibitions, 57 works online -
Jo Baer
American, born 192914 exhibitions, 35 works online -
Joseph Beuys
German, 1921–198672 exhibitions, 99 works online - There are 19 artists in this collection gallery online.
Installation images
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