Reductive Progression

Artist Robert Irwin began his career with a bent toward abstract impressionism and then became intrigued with minimalism. However, his unique approach to art and his efforts to find his place within the art universe compelled him to pioneer a new and distinct slant on abstractism. As Irwin makes his journey through the repetitive renderings of various objects of art - early lines, later lines, dots and discs - he begins to have discomfort with these "subjects" being the focus of the art.

Irwin employs an approach to his art that eventually comes to be known as "reductive progression." Using this process, Irwin strives to remove all distractions from what he considers the actual art of his work which is "presence" or "perception." Distractions such as light, noise and even the object depicted itself can detract from the the intended experience of the work. Irwin's use of...