Minimalism and Its Spheres of Influence

Art and Minimalism and all that is related:

Art is like the mirror of a society, in many ways. It has always been relatable to and representational of the aspirations of a particular era. That society influences art goes without saying. That art seeks to influence social and cultural phenomenon speaks of its affective power.

Minimalism was a logical development of trends that started at the beginning of the 20th century - more notably, in architecture with the Bauhaus and Mies Van Der Rohe’s philosophy of “Less is More”. There was a new way of looking at things, challenging old ideas of form and style. This philosophy was absorbed in the art stream, which was freed of its classical linkages and where Minimalism grew to be influential across several genres.

In this essay, I have attempted to look for sustaining minimalist influence on contemporary design - an obvious but interesting connection and in contemporary music - a not-so apparent influence.

Minimalist Art in the late 20th century - Common concepts:

By the late 1960s, it had been established that minimalism was not about depiction but interpretation. It had a density of subject that didn’t reveal itself immediately to the viewer. It was simple, clean and geometrical and sought to express its underlying structure.

And now, it was about the work’s relational aspects as well. This was exemplified in Donald Judd’s works. (his work with cubes and boxes) Repetition and progression were key elements. Richard Serra’a works, on the other hand, relied on the power of materiality(extreme) to evoke a response. (Union of Torus and Sphere, Consequence) On the other hand, Sol Lewitt attempted to purge the hand of the artist and present art in an unemotional and unbiased form f...

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...his work is soft, fluid, organic and human instead of geometrical. Ecominimalism is a term gaining popularity which stands for realistic and cost-effective approach to going green in buildings.

It is somewhat ironical than many of its main propagators have refused to be associated with the term Minimalist. (Reich and Ando in particular) This could be that the term was used derogatively, in its early versions. The general public thought of it as cold, sterile and abstract. Today, even though it remains essentially simple, it is no longer restricted and ascetic. Minimalism has become a wide-ranging and increasingly nuanced philosophy. The idea of simplicity is interpreted in a diverse way, using a wide variety of media. Therefore, I think that with research, further possibilities for evolution will open up. Minimalism is definitely here to stay for a while longer.