The Art of Less
Comme des Garçons Spring 1997 RTW
Minimalism, a thought movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s in the United States, seeks to detach as much as possible from the emotional intensity derived from Pop Art's expressive energy. It champions the rationality of spaces, enhanced environmental openness, ambient lighting, simple geometric lines and shapes, repetition, functionality, coherence, and consequently, the reduction of the unnecessary. The essence here is simplicity.
When Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a renowned architect and designer active primarily between the 1940s and 1960s, coined the phrase "Less is more," he likely did not foresee it inspiring a broader understanding of life beyond architecture. After centuries, from the 18th to the early 19th, marked by eccentricity, excessive decoration, and a beauty aesthetic leaving no space unfilled, this phrase signified a radical shift. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, it influenced not just architecture and design but also art, music, and literature, permeating every aspect of human existence and linking perfectly to what we term "lifestyle"—the behaviors that significantly impact our well-being and quality of life.
Calvin Klein ss 1994 via pinterest
But what exactly is the minimalist style, and where does the term originate? It signifies "reduced to the essentials," aiming for maximum simplicity and sobriety, free of excess. This style soon spread to Europe, influencing not just architecture but also design, art, music, and literature, promoting a lifestyle of detachment from daily chaos. In art, minimalism, emerging around 1950, is characterized by reduced object depiction, minimal color use, simple shapes, and a focus on black and white, especially in photography. Notable American minimal art figures include Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, and Robert Morris in sculpture, and Frank Stella, Robert Ryman, and Agnes Martin in painting. Literary minimalism, featuring concise detail and direct, sparse sentences, includes Raymond Carver and Ann Beattie among its notable proponents. Minimal music, emerging concurrently with minimalist thought, focuses on simple, repetitive score patterns, with Erik Satie, La Monte Young, and Philip Glass as key figures. In fashion and beauty, the "Less is more" philosophy emphasizes simplicity, natural fibers, and neutral colors, with designers like Calvin Klein and Donna Karan exemplifying this style in the 1990s.
Mikael Jansson
Minimalism in architecture, furniture, and design features clean lines, spaciousness, and functionality, with Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier being significant contributors. The minimalist lifestyle advocates for simplicity, quality over quantity, and sustainable living, encouraging conscious consumption and reducing environmental impact. It suggests eliminating unnecessary possessions and focusing on essentials, prioritizing quality and sustainability in every aspect of life.
