Voice 1974

This installation, or environment, by Robert Morris, is all blocks and planar screens, all of it stark white, sitting on a gray concrete floor. What I find fascinating is how Morris empties out the space of expression, in a way, inviting you to contemplate shape and volume. I can imagine him in the studio, pondering the material, the scale, the placement, and the interplay of forms, deciding on each element one by one, weighing their impact on the whole. He wasn’t interested in adding more ‘stuff’ to the world. More, so it could become less. The flat planes and uniform blocks are placed in relation to one another, inviting you to consider the space in between. Morris was an artist deeply engaged with the ideas of his time, questioning the nature of art, space, and perception. Like other artists of his generation, he was challenging the conventions of sculpture and pushing the boundaries of what art could be. It’s a process of constant questioning and reinvention, that ultimately expands our understanding of art and the world.