I recently gave a short speech at a toastmasters meeting on the subject of minimalism. The talk went something like this…
inimalism is a term used to describe paintings, sculptures and almost any design that thrives on simplicity in both form and content. The goal of minimalism is to allow the viewer to experience the work more intensely — without the distractions of composition, theme or embellishments.
First, a little history
The minimal art movement started in the 50’s and continued through the 60’s and 70’s. It’s been said that it started in Europe in the 1920’s, but it got a lot more attention in the 50’s when a few New York artists like Dan Flavin, Carl Andre, Donal Judd, and a few others were practicing a new kind of art right after the abstract expressionist period. An easy way to recognize Abstract expressionist art – is that there is a lot going on in the paintings. It is quite the opposite of minimalism.
Less is more
I love the notion that less is more because it contradicts with the obvious. As consumers, we usually want the most for our money. Consider this for just a minute.
Let’s say that we’re about to eat some steak. By removing all the excess fat from it, we are able to enjoy the stake without fear of biting into a piece of fat and thus our enjoyment factor goes up. In this case, less is actually more satisfying. I am sure you can think of better examples, but you get the picture right?
Aesthetics
Minimalist objects have a few traits in common; they are usually characterized by having straight lines, sharp edges, surfaces are often hard and shiny. Metals are often used because of their natural properties, think aluminums. When it comes to colors, simple prime colors and monochromatic schemes are common.
Minimalism should not be confused with miniaturism, which is the trend to make things smaller. In Japan for example, they tend to make things small; from apartments to electronics.
Call to action
Today, I’ve talked about minimalism and how the movement came to be. I also discussed some ways to recognize minimalist objects and showed you that when it comes to minimalism, less is actually more. I want to encourage everyone to go out and enjoy minimal art.
Mario Seijo
web designer
www.openElements.info
