Newman, Barnett (1905-1970), an American painter, was a leading member of the Abstract Expressionist movement. Newman developed an extremely simple style. Most of his works consist of a large vertical stripe on a background of one intense color. Newman used exceptionally large surfaces to induce viewers to scan his paintings extensively and thereby sense their vast scale and spacious, uncluttered vision. He believed that the abstract nature of his paintings gave them philosophical and spiritual meaning.
Newman began to paint in his simplified style in 1949. His works became highly controversial and were often attacked during the 1950’s. However, his style had a strong impact on many painters of the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Newman helped establish the principles of Minimalism, an American style that rejected emotion and subject matter in painting and emphasized color and form. His use of large areas of color also influenced a movement called Color-Field Painting. Newman was born on Jan. 29, 1905, in New York City. He died on July 4, 1970.
