Less is More: The Art of Minimalism 🖌️🏡
Origin and Meaning: “Simplicity is superior to elaborate embellishment” might sound like something straight out of a designer’s handbook, but it actually packs a rich historical punch. This popular maxim is largely credited to the renowned architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969). Van der Rohe championed the concept of minimizing visual clutter to create elegant, functional spaces. Yet, interestingly, the same sentiment appears in Robert Browning’s poem Andrea del Sarto – penned almost a century earlier! Browning wrote it as part of a creed: “Yet do much less, so much less . . . Well, less is more, Lucrezia; I am judged.” Even though both references originated in the visual arts, this phrase has seamlessly extended into a variety of other contexts.
Related and Similar Terms:
- Minimalism: The art of living with less.
- Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS): Advice suggesting simplicity ensures better productivity.
- Elegant Simplicity: The beauty of simplicity.
- Less is Best: Another twist on focusing on minimalism.
Humor Corner: “Why did the minimalist cross the road? To prove he doesn’t need much to get to the other side.”
Proverbs and Phrases:
- “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” (Leonardo da Vinci)
- “The best simplification results from thoughtful reduction.” (John Maeda)
- “Clutter is the enemy of clarity.” (Anonymous)
Pop Culture Reference: The phrase “less is more” made a fanciful appearance in The New York Times on June 20, 1980. Want to quantify its magical reach? Even “Featherbrains can also count on enjoying Karen Shaw’s variations on the theme of ‘less is more,’ in which language, numbers and symbols are all put through the mincer to convivial effect.”
Suggested Reading, Listening, and Watching:
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Books:
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
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Music:
- Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley
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Movies:
- Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things
- Amélie
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Poetry:
- Minimalist Poetry Anthology curated by Haiku Masters
Take a Quiz on Minimalist Phrasings!
May your explorations be enriched, and your wisdom distilled. Remember, dear reader, in art, speech, and life - less is indeed more. 🌟
Yours minimally, L. E. Minimalis
