Minimalism

Blog post for university.

ALC215 - Globalisation and the media

Topic 3 - What art movement, media genre, type or style has influenced your life and changed the way you view the world or cultures other than you own? How and why?

Minimalism

The phrase ‘Less is More’ is not only used in design, but also closely linked to the term Minimalism, which, although is initially referred to an art movement in the 1960’s was later applied successfully to design in a multitude of other disciplines. In each case, Minimalism always denotes reduction in an extreme case, and a central proposition of this work is to learn by looking at such extremes (VanEenoo 2011).

 
"A minimality of means" (Alburger, 1996) is the essential notion of minimalism that has changed my perception on the world.

"Of means".. what now, do we as a global population view as "needs"?  And do these "needs" change from country to country, society to society, minority to minority?

Minimalism has helped change the way I view the world in the sense of realising what the essential items needed for a happy life are. These essentials do not include having mass amounts of non-rudimental cash in my bank account or having the ability to access the internet in my hand 24/7.

You see, hear and read about the ravages that face third-world countries -famine, drought etc. - but have you ever thought that these individuals need vast amounts of cash, or access to a Facebook account?

In my opinion, the "essentials" in life are; family, friends and access to food, shelter, education and income.

A minimalist view on my life forced me to realise the incessant dependency on new technologies that ravages the western world.

We need to be reminded again and again: Technology has a power-off button. And the wisest of us know when to use it.

Our world may be changing. But the true nature of life is not. Life, at its best, is happening right in front of you. These experiences will never repeat themselves. These conversations are unfiltered and authentic. And the love is real. But if we are too busy staring down at our screen, we’re gonna miss all of it.

REF

Alburger M (1996). Minimalism, Multiculturalism, and the Quest for Legitimacy.” Ph.D. dissertation, Claremont University.

VanEenoo C (2011). 'Minimalism in Art and Design: Concept, influences, implications and perspectives ', Journal of Fine and Studio Art, Vol. 2, issue 1, pp. 7-12, 20/08/2013, http://www.academicjournals.org/jfsa/PDF/Pdf2011/June/vanEenoo.pdf