Minimalism in the Visual Arts

Abstract

In common usage, "minimalist" refers to or implies something that has been pared down to its bare elements. It was originally coined by an art critic trying to explain what he was witnessing, but it has since been used to characterize everything from Philip Glass' minimalist compositions to the elaborate art installations concerning Sol LeWitt and the German Bauhaus school to Colin Chapman's automobile designs and John Carroll's pedagogical tenets. This article examines the necessity and use of grasping this notion. The concept of Minimalism is presented as a helpful theoretical instrument that facilitates a nuanced appreciation for reduction, giving rise to a vantage position that permits the multifaceted definition of simplicity.