But instead of inspiring humility as it should, this practice only results in a holier-than-thou attitude that looks down upon people who choose to enjoy materialistic pursuits. The minimalist lifestyle choice is inspired by richness- the ability ‘make do’ with lesser-more elegant things when you have the ability to possess more. Yes, there is a certain sense of wonder when solids and voids are used to paint a picture, but let’s face it, not every designer is born with talent like, say Tadao Ando.Įven as a lifestyle, minimalism is not exactly a very viable option. The crude masses of concrete, the ‘austere whites and greys’ are being used as an excuse for bad design- unappealing and almost lifeless to the eyes. Our skylines look like a creation of a little (and quite unimaginative) child playing with lego blocks. We want glass and steel for our offices, only to crib about the enormous electricity bill that comes from trying to keep that greenhouse cool in this tropical heat! There are blocks everywhere, so much so that all roads look the same. Minimalism has been adopted only as a visual feature, without even stopping for a second to analyze whether it is an efficient option. Our cities may be considered modern today, but are we really doing the right thing? Every component of urban space- right from its citizens to its governing bodies, to a natural habitat, are struggling to cope with the unprecedented growth that has already come to life. Our cities today are morphing into alien establishments from localities that had their own style identities. But in the race to prove ourselves as a global superpower, we have wreaked havoc on our cities by mindlessly building faceless, blocky masses with little regard for the site and climatic conditions, or the resulting burden on natural resources and available infrastructure. While this unity seems very nice in principle- global recognition came at the cost of losing indigenous cultural identity. Very soon, the world became a global village and minimalism, its adopted style. Unlike its ancestors though, the minimalist movement snowballed into an international trend- identified by people everywhere through the internet. These elements are what characterize the straight lines, the play of solids-and-voids and the overall lack of color. Minimalism in architecture took shape with the advent of modern construction material like concrete glass and steel. Styles that inspired the Minimalist movement (clockwise from top: Scandinavian, De Stijl, Bauhaus, Japanese) Today, it is not only a design trend, but it is also an adopted lifestyle. Finally, the lifestyle of modern minimalist is very heavily based on the traditional Japanese aesthetic principles of Ma, Ikebana, and Wabi-Sabi. This style is also heavily influenced by the Dutch De Stijl movement, Swiss and Scandinavian Designs – whose sans serif text fonts, white-beige-grey color palette with primary color accents, and emphasis on natural light and functional elements are the face of the modern minimalist movement. Notable among them is the Bauhaus movement with the motto “form follows function” resonating with a minimalist’s principle of “Less is more”. Modern minimalism takes major inspiration from some very famous art movements across the world. Minimalism is the realist, straightforward cousin of the emotional and passionate abstract expressionism. It has a calm and soothing presence in the mayhem rendered by the impulsiveness of an abstract. It was a refreshing step into the “clean forms” stripping down of all its embellishments and going back to the basics of design- Straight lines, geometric shapes, and primary colors. Like other major design trends before, Minimalism developed as a rebellion against its predecessor- the classical style – ostentatious with abstract expressions in art and architecture.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |