T h e w a y in w h ic h c h o i c e o f m a te r ia l is f o r e g r o u n d e d in M o rris ' w o r k has a lr e a d y b e e n s u g g e s t e d . It is s e e n m o s t c le a r ly in th e s e r ie s of p i e c e s m a d e fro m fe lt. W h e r e J o s e p h B e u y s ' u s e o f fe lt s te m s f r o m its p e r s o n a l, ic o n o g r a p h ic s i g n if ic a n c e , M orris ' f e l t p ie c e s c a rr y th e u t i li t a r i a n n a tu re o f th e m a t e r ia l; as u n d e r la y , lin in g , etc. U nlik e M o rris ' p r e v i o u s m a te ria ls , p ly w o o d , steel a n d a lu m in iu m , t h a t h a v e a p e r m a n e n c y and r ig id ity t h a t th e y s h are w ith th o s e t r a d i t i o n a l l y e m p lo y e d in s c u lp t u r e - s to n e and b r o n z e - fe lt is m a lle a b le . W ith th e fe lt p ie c e s , M o r r is m a k e s no a t t e m p t to m a in t a in a p re d e t e r m in e d fo rm a g a in s t th e p u ll o f g ra v it y b u t on th e c o n t r a r y a llo w s g ra v it y to d ic t a t e th e fo rm . He is n o t p rim a rily c o n c e r n e d w i t h g ra v it y in th e fe lt p ie c e s 68 so m u c h as th e m o v e a w a y fro m w h a t he t e r m s " o b je c t - t y p e a rt ” .
In his e s s a y "A n t i F o rm ", M orris a c k n o w le d g e s th e w a y in w h ic h h is a n d o th e rs u se o f th e c u b e and r e c ta n g le h a s b e e n " b r o u g h t s o fa r f o r w a r d into th e d e f in it io n o f th e w o rk " t h a t it " s t a n d s as a s e lf - s u f f i c i e n t w h o l e s h a p e ra th e r th a n as a r e la t io n a l e le m e n t " 69 T h o u g h th e P r im a r y S t r u c t u r e s h a v e b e e n c o n s i d e r e d in re la tio n to t h e ir c o n c e rn w ith p r o c e s s r a th e r th a n p r o d u c t , it is th e p ro c e s s o f th e b e h o l d e r a s c e r t a i n i n g th e w o rk fr o m t h e o b je c t p ro d u c e d b y th e artist. T h e w o r k w i t h p ly w o o d r e s u lt e d in s h a p e s im p o s e d on th e m a t e r ia l by th e a rtis t. In t h e i r a d h e r e n c e to s im p le g e o m e t r ic s h a p e , t h e y s ig n a lle d a p o i n t of
u n io n b e t w e e n a rtis t and b e h o ld e r - v i s u a l r e c o g n it io n o f a c o n c e p tu a lly u n d e r s t o o d c o n f ig u r a t io n - and a t t e n t io n w a s f o c u s e d on th e ir s p e c ific ro le s in r e la t io n to th is k n o w n entity. H a v in g in v e s t ig a t e d the p h y s ic a lity i n h e r e n t in P o llo c k 's p a in t in g s , M o rris b e c a m e d is s a t is f ie d w ith th e s e e m in g i n e v i t a b i li t y o f t h e o b je c t a ris in g f r o m th e a c tiv it y , w is h in g to c o n c e rn h im s e lf w ith th e p ro c e s s o f m a k in g . R o d in 's a c k n o w le d g e m e n t o f t h e p la s t ic it y o f m a t e r ia l t h ro u g h a u t o b i o g r a p h ic a l m e a n s ( le a v in g tr a c e s in th e f in is h e d w o r k o f th e i n d e n t a t i o n o f his h a n d s w h ils t s c u lp t in g ) is t r a n s f o r m e d , in the w o r k o f P o llo c k a n d Louis, Morris a rg u e s , in to "the m o re d ir e c t r e v e la t io n o f m a tt e r i t s e l f ' 70. W h ile the P r im a r y S t r u c t u r e s a d d r e s s e d the r e l a t i o n s h i p b e tw e e n the o b je c t and th e b e h o ld e r , t h e ir c o n d it io n as th e r e a li s a t i o n o f th e a rtis t's in t e n t p e r p e t u a t e d a c o n c e rn w it h th e a rt o b je c t . It is w o rth n o tin g t h a t Morris c o m e s to th is c o n c lu s io n as 'M in im a l A rt' b e c o m e s w id e ly k n o w n as a g e n e r ic te rm fo r p a r t i c u l a r w ork, d e t e r m i n e d by w h a t it lo o k s like ra th e r t h a n w h a t it d oe s . By 1 968, th e w o r k o f M orris a n d o th e r M in im a l s c u lp t o r s h a d m o v e d f r o m b eing d is p la y e d in sm all, d o w n t o w n N e w Y o rk g a lle r ie s to g a in in g th e v a lid a t io n o f t h e large in s t it u t i o n s . 71 W ith h in d s ig h t , M o rris r e c o g n i s e d th a t th e w o rk , f a r from b e in g re d u c tio n is t, a c c r u e d a d e g re e o f s e l f - p e r p e t u a t io n as a d is t in c t and r e c o g n is a b le fo rm :
H o w P o llo c k b ro k e th e d o m in a t io n o f C u b is t fo rm is tied to h is in v e s t i g a t i o n o f m ea ns : to o ls , m e th o d s o f m aking , n a t u r e o f m a te ria l. F orm is n o t p e r p e t u a t e d by m e a n s but by p r e s e r v a t io n o f s e p a r a b le i d e a l i s e d e n d s T h is is an a n t i - e n t r o p ic and c o n s e r v a t i v e e n t e r p r is e 2 S la b did n o t e x a m in e t h e n a tu re o f th e m a t e r ia l it e m p lo y e d , r a t h e r th e c h o ic e o f p ly w o o d w a s p re d ic a t e d on its s u it a b ilit y f o r f a s h io n in g th e in t e n d e d o b j e c t . 73 p a g e 74
In o b je c t - t y p e a rt p ro c e s s is n o t v is ib le . M a te ria ls o f t e n are. W h e n th e y are , t h e i r r e a s o n a b le n e s s is u s u a lly a p p a r e n t . R igid in d u s t ria l m a t e r ia ls go t o g e t h e r a t r ig h t a n g le s w ith g re a t ease. B u t it is th e a p r io r i v a lu a t io n o f th e w e ll- b u ilt t h a t d ic t a te s th e m a te r ia ls . T h e w e ll- b u ilt fo rm o f o b je c t s p re c e d e d a n y c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f m e a n s . M a te r ia ls t h e m s e l v e s h a v e b e e n lim ite d to t h o s e w h ic h e f f ic ie n t ly m a k e th e g e n e r a l o b je c t f o r m . 74 A w o r k c o m p r is in g t w o p ie c e s o f h a lf- in c h th ic k f e l t 75 (p la te 12) is sh ow n - in M ic h ae l C o m p t o n and D a v id S y lv e s t e r 's o v e r v i e w o f M orris' w ork up until 1971 - in t w o a r r a n g e m e n t s , n e i t h e r o f w h i c h a llu d e to a
In o b je c t - t y p e a rt p r o c e s s is n o t v is ib le M a te r ia ls o fte n are. W h e n t h e y are, t h e i r r e a s o n a b l e n e s s is u s u a lly a p p a re n t. R igid i n d u s t r ia l m a t e r ia ls go t o g e t h e r at r ig h t a n g le s w ith g re a t e a s e But it is th e a p r io r i v a lu a t io n o f th e w e ll-b u ilt th a t d ic t a t e s th e m a te r ia ls . T h e w e ll- b u ilt fo r m o f o b je c t s p r e c e d e d a ny c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f m e a n s . M a te r ia ls th e m s e lv e s h a v e b e e n lim ite d to th o s e w h ic h e f f i c i e n t l y m a k e the g e n e r a l o b je c t f o r m . 74
A w o r k c o m p ris in g tw o p ie c e s o f h a lf- in c h th ic k f e l t 75 (p la te 1 2) is s h o w n - in M ic h a e l C o m p t o n a n d D a v id S y lv e s t e r 's o v e r v ie w o f M o r ris ' w o r k up u n t il 1971 - in tw o a r r a n g e m e n t s , n e it h e r o f w h ic h a llu d e t o a
Plate 12. Robert Morris. Untitled 1968. Grey felt, two pieces each 1/j" thick
r e c o g n is a b le shape. T h e c o m p o s ite p ie c es d is c u s s e d e a rlie r w e r e also