The School of Reductionism

The School of Reductionism is perhaps the most exciting new movement in contemporary American art. The School was conceived in 1987 by E.J. Gold, Tom X and other members of the Grass Valley Graphics Group in northern California.

The School consists of more than 20 American and Canadian painters and sculptors who have worked together to reformulate the aims and principles of contemporary visual art.

Reductionism is situated in the tradition of objective art which includes the Great Pyramids and the great cathedrals. It embodies both a philosophy of art and certain practical principles which infuse recognizable qualities into its art, and is therefore objective in nature. Reductionism centers on the extension of the boundaries of the possible within the laboratory of high aesthetic.

Inside Outside

The philosophy of Reductionism places utmost value on the creative act which originates as an aesthetic perception and a corresponding state or condition of being. It is then the artist�s task to capture or express this perception in a work of art which enables the viewer to have the same experience. Reductionist art is an attempt at exact communication, not an exploration of the subjective states of the artist.

Although Reductionism in practice is broadly inclusive, experimental and evolving, its art is nonetheless often characterized by three basic qualities:
Timelessness / Essentialism / Space

Faces of War