A white cube gallery is a gallery style that is square or rectangular shape, has unadorned white walls and a light source usually in the ceiling.
It typically has hardwood or polished concrete floors.
In the early twentieth century art became more abstract and groups such as the Bauhaus and de Stijl demanded their works were displayed on white walls; to them the background was integral to the picture, it was the frame.
James Abbott McNeill Whistler's 1883 show at London's Fine Art Society has been cited as perhaps the first “white cube” show, the artworks being framed in white and hung against a white felt background.
Last Updated on 3 years by pinc