Artikel door Shanna Koppejan
Dear readers,
With the summer break behind us now, we leave behind a time of overconsumption and tourism, or perhaps for some, a time of returning to the basics with nothing more than a backpack. While we are getting back to our daily routine now, it is time for a new theme on the TOPOS platform. In the upcoming months, different writers will present their views on minimalism. The backpackers will know the bliss of letting go and holding on to only that which holds value. It is a lifestyle of simplification and focuses on what truly matters.
However, in art history, Minimalism refers not to a lifestyle but to a specific group in the 1960s and 70s in New York. It was, in part, a reaction to Abstract Expressionism which favoured intuitive and spontaneous qualities. Minimalism stripped everything down (personal expressions and allusions) to end up with only the piece of art and its essential quality; the presence of the piece (Halle, 2023). This was also translated to landscaping where design elements are reduced to understand the essential quality of a space.
However, as Halle (2023) also mentions, Minimalism has had a great effect on contemporary life and is now used as a common adjective. We see this when addressing the minimalist lifestyle of backpackers, but minimalism continues to grow in popularity as a counter-movement to the excesses of modern consumer culture. I think that its principles are increasingly relevant in addressing environmental issues.
By emphasizing simplicity, efficiency, and the use of local materials, minimalist principles help create sustainable and resilient environments that benefit both people and the planet. Think for example about multi-functional spaces, compact development and a general reduction in the use of materials.
There is much more to say about minimalism, but further elaborations and trains of thought I will leave to the writers of the upcoming weeks. I hope you are just as excited as me to see how they deal with this extensive topic of Minimalism.
Best regards,
Shanna Koppejan
On behalf of the editorial of TOPOS
Halle, H. (2023, June 26). The ARTnews Guide to Minimalism. ARTnews.com. Retrieved August 2, 2024, from https://www.artnews.com/list/art-news/artists/what-is-minimalism-1234666038/mondrian-and-de-stijl/
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