hard-edge

American  

[hahrd-ej] / ˈhɑrdˌɛdʒ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a style of abstract painting associated with the 1960s and marked chiefly by sharply outlined geometric or nongeometric forms.

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hard-edge British  

adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting a style of painting in which vividly coloured subjects are clearly delineated

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Etymology

Origin of hard-edge

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Since the 1950s, key figures launched important genres, including hard-edge abstract painter John McLaughlin, harbinger of Light and Space perceptual art, and assemblage master Wallace Berman.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025

Herzog said they wanted to pay their respects to Breuer’s hard-edge design while also finding subtle ways to make the space more useful for Sotheby’s—like that huge freight elevator—and inviting to the public.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

He shares the deeply conservative ideology of his mentor Mr. Jordan but lacks the confrontational profile or hard-edge style of the Ohioan.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2023

But where Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein emulated the clean, hard-edge look of commercial art, Guston continued to paint in a messy, intuitive fashion.

From Washington Post • Apr. 18, 2023

Mulholland, who was dressed in classic rockabilly style in head-to-toe denim, plays gritty rock music that recalls hard-edge Michigan legends such as the Stooges and the MC5.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 15, 2023