All design agencies have their styles and influences and at underscore we have always favoured minimalism because it is an exercise in conceptual thinking and a means to achieve effectiveness through simplification.

Minimalism in the art world began in post world War II especially in America in the 60’s and 70’s. It’s a continuation of the conceptual ethereal thinking behind Surrealism, Fauvism, Expressionist but with a departure from the strong visual component with more of a Dada attitude as a continuation of the Modernist way of thought.

Not just as the limiting conditions of pictorial art, but as criteria of aesthetic quality in pictorial art; that the further a work advances the self-definition of an art, the better that work is bound to be.

It is often interpreted as a reaction against the painterly subjectivity in Abstract expressionism, that explicitly stated that minimal art was not about self-expression and unlike the previous decade’s more subjective philosophy, it was about making objective art.

Prominent artists associated with this movement include Donald Judd, Agnes Margin, Dan Flanvin, Frank Stella among others.

So Minimal terminology refers to anything that is stripped to its essentials. It has also been used to describe Samuel Beckett’s work, Robert Bresson films, Colin Chapman automobile design and minimalism painters associated with the Bauhaus. Minimal art also inspired Josef Alberts, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, among others.

In France Yves Klein conceived his Monotone Symphony (1949, formally The Monotone-Silence Symphony) that consisted of a single 20-minute sustained chord followed by a 20-minute silence – a precedent to John Cage’s 4’33”.

Minimalism is also used in design and architecture, where the theme or subject is reduced to its necessary element. The biggest influence came from the De Stijl artist group that could explain their ideas with simple basic organized elements like lines and planes.

In the field of architecture Mies van der Rohe uses the motto “Less is more” to describe the method of arranging necessary components to create a simplified space. A similar sentiment is the “Less but better” attitude that Dieter Rams promotes, using simple and elegant design to promote function over form.

The use of simple shapes or the replication of a component promotes unity and tasteful non-fussy designs, as well as the use of natural textures and colours also influences the structural beauty. Minimalism’s features include geometric, often cubic forms, equality of parts, repetition, neutral surfaces and industrial materials.

So when contemplating a tricky design challenge, my direction for the studio team at underscore would often be to remember the principles set by Ad Reinhardt in his famous quote:

“The more stuff in it, the busier the work of art, the worse it is. More is less. Less is more. The eye is a menace to clear sight. The laying bare of oneself is obscene. Art begins with the getting rid of nature.”

Or in other words….”Keep it simple…team!”

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