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minimalism

minimalism

5 6.5
A style in painting, sculpture, and design using very simple shapes and few colors
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪnɪməlɪzəm/
translation icon : minimalismo
  • Since then, this tendency has reappeared in different forms, from Minimalism's "specific objects" to the painting-as-installation of the 1990s and beyond.
  • minimalism in music
  • principle of minimalism
  • moral minimalism

If the goal was minimalism, it was probably the wrong goal.

Examples

  • Interestingly, though, students may find the premises of minimalism helpful tools in their acquisition of musical knowledge.

    Academic text (1998)

  • One principle of minimalism that can greatly aid them is the extreme reduction of materials.

    Academic text (1998)

  • What do you think the term "minimalism" means?

    Academic text (2012)

  • His home was decorated in the white and chrome minimalism of the hospital.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • So this was my first exercise in "creative minimalism," something that became a pattern over the ensuing years.

    Blog text (19)

  • Elegant minimalism with romantic textures.

    Bride Wars (2009)

  • Students at various levels can learn the premises underlying minimalism and apply them to their practice and rehearsals to increase musical understanding.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Part of minimalism's popular success can be attributed to its harmonic accessibility and vital rhythms.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The artist's latest work exhibits a stunning minimalism, using only two colors and a simple shape.

  • In architecture, minimalism often translates to clean lines and open spaces without excessive decoration.

Synonyms

minimal art
vsminimalism
7.7

An art movement from the 1950s that uses very simple shapes and few colors in sculpture and painting

is a broader style that also covers music and design beyond visual art
reductivism
vsminimalism
  • Specialized
9.9

An art style in painting and sculpture that makes shapes and colors very simple

is a wider style including music and design not only visual art

Antonyms

maximalism
8.2

A style that uses bold colors, rich patterns, and many details

ornateness
7.7

A thing or style with many decorative details

How Simple

minimalism
5 6.5
simple
220 1.0

Surface Forms

minimalism singular
minimalisms plural

Morphology

minimalism = minimal (transparent) = minimal + ism

Formed by the productive noun-forming suffix '-ism' added to the adjective 'minimal', denoting a movement, practice, or philosophy characterized by minimal principles.

Etymology

Minimalism in art gets its name from the idea of 'very small' or 'least'. The word comes from the root mini- and minimum meaning 'smallest' and the ending -ism meaning 'style' or 'belief', so minimalism in art is a style that uses very simple shapes and few colors.