Styles & Periods

• Artists
• Styles & Periods
• Associations
• Glossary
• Projects
• Purchase Guides

Hard-Edge Painting

Hard-Edge painting arose in the 1960s in opposition to figurative and geometrical art and as a reaction to Abstract Expressionism. It is included in the new direction of painting of the 1960s that is generally called Post-Painterly Abstraction. Hard-Edge painting is characterized by its flat, broad fields of color. The forms in Hard-Edge painting are few, and are crisply defined by sharp contours. By reducing the amount of forms in a painting and eliminating the presence of a defined light source, Hard-Edge painters were able to negate depth, object and figure, thereby giving the painting – that is the stretcher and canvas itself – the distinction of being the object. This can be interpreted as total unity of the picture plane. Some of the most successful Hard-Edge painters include Agnes Martin, Ad Reinhardt, Ellsworth Kelly and Kenneth Noland.

Feeling inspired? Try out these fine products…

Up to 40% Off XL Black Drawing Pad by Canson For bold and distinctive drawings.	At Least 34% Off Ruby Satin Series Synthetic Brushes Short Handle by Silver Brush Superb color control	From $2.09 Triangular Colored Pencil Sets by Maped More comfortrable and easy to grip
From $19.99 Abstract Nature by Search Press Expressing the natural world with acrylics, and mixed media.	Up to 62% Off Series 4050 Heritage Brushes by Princeton Richly distinctive brushes with excellent color holding	From $9.17 Studio Acrylic Paints by Rosa Fine Art Materials Conveniently squeeze out the paint!