Minimalism and Why it's so Yummy
photo source: thefashionatlas.com
Ah, minimalism. I love it. This style can be seen in pretty much every creative avenue. Fashion, visual art, makeup, interior design. We recently saw other interesting examples of minimalism in Gary Hustwit's documentaries, Objectified, which showcases Apple's minimal aesthetic in technology, as well as Helvetica, a film devoted to the san-serif font (which converted me into a fan). In fact, it was when I Googled Helvetica minimalism that I came across an article exploring the bigger picture as to why we love the minimal movement so much. I had come across plenty of articles praising the minimalist lifestyle (it's more than just looks!) but had been much more interested in the psychological appeals of minimalism in general and why myself and so many people gravitate towards it.
For me, I thought it may have something to do with my anxiety disorder. When you're prone to racing thoughts and feeling overwhelmed, clarity and organization, in a physical and visual sense can be very calming. Or it could be my annoyance with things that are too fussy for seemingly no reason. There is a time and place for stylistic choices that involve loads of detail (I'm glad Michaelangelo didn't choose minimalism for the Sistine Chapel, for example). But you know when you see celebs getting torn apart in tabloids for over-the-top outfits, where every detail is competing with every other detail, and there are so many details in this competition? As awful as that unnecessary ridicule is, there is a piece of me that thinks why not a pair of sneakers, skinny jeans and a cute jacket? It works for almost everyone and you would look leaps and bounds better! Why complicate???? Why????
Furthermore, minimalism often seems to be a wise choice when trying to communicate. Take business cards for example. When creating a business card, you want to communicate what type of service you are offering and you want to draw interest. That's it. It's a 3.5x2 piece of paper. There simply isn't room for fussiness. Your goal is to get to the point, but in style. But why does minimalism factor into so many other aspects of our lives, and why do so many of us choose to adopt it in the way we dress, decorate our homes, assemble our websites or social media, etc?
In the article I mentioned earlier, the author, Meg Miller, suggests that minimalism comes in and out of style in waves, due to "social factors." Miller describes the change in 1950's advertisements, which began to favor minimalism over the dominant "busy" graphic designs of the time. And it makes sense. Everything goes in and out of style. We grow overwhelmed with maximalism so we welcome minimalism. We get bored with minimalism so we adopt maximalism, and the cycle continues. I'm interested in how others might feel about this movement. Do you also love minimalism, or does it bore you (as it is surely capable of doing). Are there specific areas such as fashion, beauty, interior design, product design etc. where you think the minimal style is especially appealing? Personally, the older I get and the more I experience from the world around me, the more I appreciate things that are simple, to-the-point and honest, and I think minimalism really carries this feeling, even in areas that may only seem visual.
This is a very interesting take in style. Simplicity can have a calming charm that is underappreciated. You touch a bit on how minimalism took over advertisements after the 50s. Do you think there is any benefit to crazy and colorful ads nowadays or are they completely obsolete?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback, Alexis! While I do think minimalism is often a good route to take in advertising, as advertisers want to get their point across and sell you on their product quickly and clearly, I think there is absolutely room for crazy/colorful/detailed ads. Just like in visual art, if all ads were minimal, they would be too monotonous and lose their impact. If an advertisement is 'flashier' or more detailed but still manages to clearly communicate its idea to the consumer, it is a success in my book.
ReplyDeleteYour blog was very well written, and I found it fascinating how you coded links in each post. When I commented on an earlier post I just thought you changed the color of the words, hahaha. I am an idiot! However, this time I clicked on the word, and was transferred to the site you were discussing! Very unique and tech savvy.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how you discussed the psychological appeal of Helvetica. I personally enjoy the font as well. I find it clean, clear, and calming; the 3 C’s is what I call them!
I'm glad you enjoyed the post and am glad that I came across as tech-savvy (not at all a word I would use to describe myself!). Blogger makes it easy to embed links, it turns out there's an option at the top of the page when you are writing a blog that allows you to do this and make it appear in different wording within your post. Your comment made me consider the usability of websites, particularly those which allow for us to have a creative platform (such as blogging sites, soundcloud, deviantart, etc.), which is probably a good topic for a blog post, so thank you!
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