The trend was first identified as minimalism in sculpture when artists such as Carl Andre, Donald Judd, and Robert Morris began creating physically imposing works with simple geometric forms of untreated materials, often of a single color. The focus was on the materials, since the objects were not intended to represent anything.

Music.

In the late 1960s the term also was applied to a new movement in music. While many serious composers were writing scores of increasing complexity, others scaled back to write pieces influenced by African and Asian music with simpler instrumentations — often relying on electronic keyboards and percussion instruments — and repeated phrases and rhythms that gradually changed in the course of the piece. The best-known minimalist composers were Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Terry Riley.

The Influence of Minimalism.

Minimal art requires minimal talent, according to some critics. However, minimalism introduced...