At the start of his career, LeWitt was associated with Minimalism,
an influential American Visual Arts movement of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, often seen as a reaction against Abstract Expressionism and the precursor of Post-Modern Art.
Minimal artists wanted their work to be enjoyed without the viewer being distracted by trying to decipher or delve for hidden layers of meaning.
Minimalist artwork does not contain emotional comments, personal statements or symbolism and the artists strove to create work that was aesthetically appealing, focusing on colour, formation and geometric shape. Even though Minimalism shared many of the aesthetic elements of Abstract Expressionism, it did not convey or draw inspiration from an emotional reaction or statement. Finally, Minimalism questioned the role of art in modern society by distancing itself from the notion of art as a profound conveyor of meaning and emphasising the purely visual and objective aspects of painting and sculpture.