The “Primary Structures” exhibition was held in 1966. Titled Primary Structures: Younger American and British Sculptors, it was presented at the Jewish Museum in New York from April 27 to June 12, 1966.
Curator Kynaston McShine organized the exhibition to survey recent sculpture from the northeastern United States, California, and Great Britain. The works shared characteristics such as simplified geometry, large scale, and smooth industrial surfaces. Artists included Donald Judd, Dan Flavin, Carl Andre, Robert Morris, Sol LeWitt, and Tony Smith.
The exhibition became a landmark in the history of Minimalism because it introduced a broad public to a new kind of sculpture. Instead of emphasizing expressive modeling or traditional craftsmanship, many works presented self-contained forms, repeated structures, and manufactured materials. The show also helped make the gallery or museum space part of the viewer’s experience.
A common misconception is that the exhibition’s title was simply “Primary Structures.” Its full title identified the artists as younger American and British sculptors, while the year 1966 distinguishes this exhibition from later projects that reused the phrase.