Title: A Brief History of Minimalism: How the Minimalist Movement Happened
Headings: History of Minimalism: How the Minimalist Movement Happened
History of Minimalism: How the Minimalist Movement Happened
Minimalist Design
A Brief History of Minimalism
Here are a few highlights from the past 200 years:
1800-1850: Introducing Simple Living in America
1920-1930: The Elevated Design Era
1960-1970: Minimalist Expansion
1980-2000: Adaptation of Simple Living
2000 – Present: Minimalism Becomes Mainstream
Important Figures in the Minimalist Movement
Donald Judd
Carl Andre
Dan Flavin
Summary of the History of Minimalism
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Content: 1800-1850: Introducing Simple Living in America
A transcendentalist philosophy takes hold in America and is popularized by the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They held the idealistic view that insight and enlightenment can be gained through solitude and simplicity, such as illustrated in the book Walden. While not expressly stated as minimalism at this time, this new approach to simplicity is something that we would continue to see evolve for years to come. 1920-1930: The Elevated Design Era
The modern style that the word minimalism is most associated with was heavily influenced by the Bauhaus School’s ideal of balancing beauty with utility in product design. In the Bauhaus Era, teachers and students of the school offered an alternative to uninspiring manufactured products and reimagined the role art could play in society. By injecting creativity and thoughtfulness into the production of otherwise cheap and ubiquitous items, the Bauhaus school inspired the concept of elevated design for everyday life. 1960-1970: Minimalist Expansion
The word minimalism itself gains popularity amongst certain groups of young artists in the 60s who resisted the stifling conventions of fine art (such as abstract painter Agnes Martin, sculptor and artist Donald Judd, artist Frank Stella and others).