What artistic movements reject the use of stainless steel in abstract sculptures?

Several artistic movements have historically rejected the use of stainless steel in abstract sculptures, favoring alternative materials to convey their aesthetic and philosophical ideals. For instance, the Arte Povera movement, originating in Italy during the 1960s, emphasized the use of "poor" or everyday materials like wood, cloth, and earth, rejecting industrial metals such as stainless steel as too sterile or impersonal. Similarly, Minimalism, while often associated with industrial materials, sometimes avoided stainless steel in favor of raw, untreated surfaces to highlight simplicity and materiality.

The Organic Abstraction movement also preferred natural materials like stone or bronze, believing they better expressed fluid, biomorphic forms. Meanwhile, Dada and Surrealism occasionally rejected stainless steel for its association with modernity, opting instead for found objects or unconventional materials to challenge traditional art norms. These movements demonstrate how material choices in abstract sculpture reflect deeper artistic ideologies.