Introduction:
Minimalism or minimal art in English (Minimalism) in the visual arts, music, literature and other forms of art, is a school that bases its works and expression on simplicity of expression and simple methods, devoid of the usual philosophical or quasi-philosophical complexity. Other names for this movement are ABC art and Literal art (Iteralist art). Zen in Japanese art and Buddhism in Northern Chinese art made extensive use of eliminating additions to the main subject of art in miniature and ink. In literature, haiku or short-word poems inspired the new art seekers.
From an aesthetic point of view, Minimalism art presents an abstract and refined form of beauty. Perhaps this feature is due to characteristics such as: truth (because it does not pretend to be anything else and everything is an existing image), order, simplicity and harmony.
Minimalist art has several characteristics that are easy to identify.
One of the most common is the repetition or creation of multiple images of the same shape, especially simple geometric shapes such as lines and squares. Some works are so simple that they are designed with the fewest lines and forms possible.
Minimalism also has a limited range of colors. Early works were limited to a single color or related colors (black, white, and gray). Another way to identify minimalist art is to look for sharp, sharp boundaries between colored areas of the image.
Minimalist art focuses on elements such as geometry, color, and line.
Minimalism in the visual arts:
Minimalism in painting can be considered the offspring of Russian artists of the post-October Revolution period who were structuralists and tended towards abstract and geometric shapes. Such as Malevich with his work White on White. The experiences of Russian artists in the 1950s and 60s influenced European and American artists, such as the all-white paintings of the young Robert Rauschenberg and the monochrome works of Eve Klein, and the Acro series of Piero Manzoni, and in another way influenced the enamel works on copper of Robert Riemann and the works of Agnes Martin, which were a combination of subtle grooves on a monochrome background.
Minimalism in the United States quickly became a new art movement, which was associated with the creation of three-dimensional (rather than two-dimensional) works. Richard Serra’s volumetric works have been the subject of much debate. The mainstream of the American Minimalism movement can be seen in the works of Tony Smith, Donald Judd, Carl Andre, Don Flavin, Robert Morris, Cel Levitt, and John McCracken.
Minimalism in sculpture began in the United States. The movement’s followers’ research included a variety of modular, spatial, grid, and pair-work structures that aimed to redefine issues such as space, form, scale, and boundary, thereby negating any expressionism or visual illusion. They used a rationalist approach to composition, simple, orderly sets of similar, movable units based on mathematics that could be expanded and developed.
Minimalism in minimalist photography is focusing on a specific and simple subject that the audience can easily see the subject. In a minimalist photo, you are not faced with a multitude of different colors, information, and objects. Minimalist photographers create more negative space by removing extra elements in the photo and create their effect.
Negative space is important in minimalist photography. As much as you care about the subject, you should use negative space correctly in the photo.
Correct composition in minimalist photography is creating a balance between the subject and negative space so that the concept of the photo is conveyed to the audience by placing all the elements together.
The best way to avoid distracting the audience from the main subject is to choose a background. A simple background is the best way to convey the concept of the photo to the audience and prevent their attention from being distracted.
Minimalism in minimalist architecture is a focus on better design through simplicity and without attention to decoration and details. Simplicity in form, space, materials, details and color is important in minimalist architecture. In fact, it is expected that with this simplicity and limitation in elements, great design will be formed with the most advantages.
Most minimalist building structures are made of simple angles and are modeled after classic geometric shapes.
The lack of decoration is evident not only in the details, but also in the materials used in minimalist architecture. Simple materials such as glass, concrete and steel are usually used in minimalist architecture.
Crowding is not a friend of minimalist architecture. In the interior of these buildings, you will find a lot of open space.
Many minimalist buildings are monochromatic to avoid distractions. Being monochromatic or using neutral colors calms the mind.
Minimalist architecture places great importance on light, both artificial and natural. Since there is a lot of negative space in these buildings, they can use it to the advantage of lighting.
Conclusion:
Aesthetically, Minimalism offers an abstract and refined form of beauty. This is perhaps due to its qualities such as truth (because it does not pretend to be anything else and everything is an image of what is there), order, simplicity, and harmony.
