Minimalism, what is it? I’m no expert, but to me, it’s the absolute reduction of all unnecessary elements. In other words, it’s the use of only what is required to convey a message, nothing else. I use the idea “to convey a message” because it’s precisely what we do as artists through our work. It’s a form of expression, of communication. But I digress.

As I mentioned, I’m no expert. I haven’t studied or explored it for very long. I do however find myself attracted to aesthetics that coincide with the ethos of minimalism. My kicks seem to come from subtleties almost invisible to the average eye. Those extra little drops of effort that can be happily discovered when carefully studying a piece. Delicate play with identical hue or value that only differ in texture. A dark figure hiding within a field of shadow, betrayed by the faintest glance of light outlining its figure. My water bottle in matte black with semi-glossed black writing. The rough then smooth white rubber underneath the soft not-so-flexible white leather, with white stitching and laces, finished with the white interior fabric of my favorite pair of shoes.

Let me tell you, it’s not easy. Sure, to some gifted individuals, a lot of this might be second nature. But for the rest of us, it’s a struggle. You really wouldn’t think so at first. I remember a more naive version of myself walking by a painting and seeing others almost transfixed in an attempt to unlock some taste of an understanding of what they were gazing. I didn’t fuckin get it. It’s a red square on a white canvas…..big whoop…..(the image found above this post has nothing to do with this imaginary piece)…not going to lie…..a part of me still doesn’t get it. But DAMN, there’s SOMETHING pretty about the simplicity of that bold toned geometry making a stand against the emptiness of the infinity behind it.

Why of all things would I be speaking of Minimalism though? Well, simple, I seem to really like it. There’s no agenda here. I’m not trying to make you imagine that red square on a blank canvas and give you some pretense of “what it reaaaally means maaaaan…” No, I think it’s a beautiful art form, state of mind even. This little blurb I’ve put together here in no way does it justice, I get that. I imagine that I’ll revisit this subject matter when I have a better grasp on it. But for now, I think it’s incredible to be effected, even on a small scale by anything that seems to almost aggressively attempt to void itself of impactive entities. At least, that’s my take on it.

It’s balance. A carefully calculated, but instinctively intense balance.

* The piece above is called “Circular” from a recent exploration into minimalism of mine. I’ll pop a link below to the Behance project when I post it in the next coming weeks.