Nelly Rudin: The Evolution of Minimalist Art

Upon graduating from the Kunstgewerbeschule in Basel, Switzerland, in 1928, Nelly Rudin (1928-2013) embarked upon a prosperous career as a graphic designer. In 1964, however, she forwent her profession to dedicate herself wholly to the realm of visual art. In accordance with the dictum of restraint, a principle ingrained during her time as a graphic designer, she principally explored fundamental shapes such as squares, triangles, and circles, along with their varying partitions. In 1974, this culminated in the manifestation of her “assembled canvases,” consisting of vertical intersections and diagonal constructions with a vacant, white area at its center. Two years later, Rudin upheaved this emphasis and divulged from the two-dimensional plane, ushering in her era of “aluminum frame objects.” As per the artist’s perspective, these square framing formations, projected outward from the wall like reliefs, effectively frame the vacant wall as if it were a painting: “Where an image typically occurs, there lies emptiness, and where the frame stands, there resides the picture.” In 1977, Nelly Rudin began exploring this theme in painting, bestowing preeminence upon the painting’s outermost margins: either the sides of the picture (exemplified in “Nr. 320” and “Nr. 373”), or its edges (“Nr. 489”). This she combined with exaggerated stretcher frames, designed to impart a sense of voluminosity upon her works, at times utilizing varying degrees of thickness within a single piece, challenging our accustomed perspectives. In 1981, this focus transitioned to objects fashioned from acrylic glass (“Nr. 19” and “Nr. 22”), taking advantage of its transparency to create novel perceptual effects. As Rudin perceptively states, “Paint applied to the edges can traverse the glass and unexpectedly materialize on formerly unmarked edges.” Rudin’s oeuvre as a whole is characterized by this concept of “migration” – a gradual expansion – as she consistently revamps her paramount themes, continually blurring the dichotomy between painting and sculpture to reveal fresh nuances.

The artist’s emphasis on peripheral regions produced a notable novel subject to the lexicon of Concrete Art. Following the artist’s passing, her creations and documents have been maintained by the Nelly Rudin Foundation, established in her previous abode and workspace located in the town of Uitikon near Zurich.

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