Usually when we hear about minimalism in painting, but also in music, we refer to a type of essential approach characterized by a few simple elements.
This current, which has become a true philosophy of thought, can be traced back to the concept of "less is more" expressed by the architect Mies Van der Rohe.
The German master designer already in unsuspecting times felt the need to simplify a reality that became increasingly hectic.
Up to the present day... where minimalism has assumed a fundamental role.
Companies like Apple have made it a cult: simplify to the maximum, in a world that is complicated seems to become the only possible choice. And this does not stop only in the productive sector, minimalism can be applied to every area, from the most intimate to global systems.
Especially in sensitive issues such as environmental issues and related issues, this approach has brought interesting solutions.
But why is minimalist thinking so important? We find out in this article.
The minimalist doctrine in simple words
When you hear about minimalism you are likely to imagine a large white space, like a modern office, with little furniture and a sterile air.
It is usually the first thing that comes to mind and is associated with a feeling of emptiness, poverty or deprivation.
It’s not really the comfort situation that someone would want to be in, but let’s try to change the perspective a little. Let’s try to change the word "empty" to "space".
Minimalist doctrine does this: it creates space. And in doing so it brings order and harmony.
In the drawers, in the rooms, on a canvas, in the garage, in the mind: minimalism is getting rid of the superfluous. Space, air, lightness, silence, calm are just some of the benefits it produces.
The need for simplicity is increasingly present in modern Western society, as studies indicate and a derivative of an excess in the opposite direction. Man today is subject to anxiety and stress that in other times, even less livable than this, did not exist.
Plenty of information, objects and stimuli have created this feeling of claustrophobic heaviness of which minimalism wants to be the cure.
It is an awareness of the siege we are subjected to daily, in a society hyper connected and addicted to materialism. A form of resistance in which thousands of people have decided to take part.
Minimalist philosophy is a form of awareness, of acceptance of the form that has taken the society in which we live. A direct consequence to protect against its side effects.
Living a minimalist life
Living a minimalist life means seeking happiness.
There is no need to dress in white, get rid of all material goods and take refuge in some remote place far from civilization, unless that is what you want to do.
The aim is to get rid of the distractions, excesses and dead weights that complicate life in a subjective way.
So how can one live by minimalism, but avoid becoming hermits living on top of a mountain? You can start with small rules:
1. Being is not having: Remember that what is really important cannot be held in your hand.
This can be a difficult challenge. Continuous exposure to impulses generates desires that are often real illusions of happiness. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression "Therapeutic Shopping" to indicate a shopping trip to pick up a bad day. Endorphins produced during the buying phase in fact causes a feeling of apparent well-being
2.Less things = more freedom: What you have has you.
Creating a bond with an object is simple, especially when it represents a memory. But it is the memory itself that is a wealth, not the object to which it is linked.
It’s still better to start getting rid of unnecessary things before you get to what you’re most attached to. As if it were a path to be faced one step at a time.
3. Be good guardians: Look after your garden, your house, as if it were sacred.
To enhance the spaces, it is essential to order. It’s a bit what happens in those periods of life where we feel off: one of the solutions we rely on is to tidy up our spaces (closets, car, home). In minimalism it works more or less the same way.
4.User, not owner: The future is sharing.
Every owner owns an object even when they don’t use it, which is most of the time. This implies that many people must possess many objects in order to use them. If more than one person has access to the same object instead, fewer objects will be needed to meet everyone’s needs. That means: less production and less waste to be disposed of.
- Riscoprire lo spazio: Un posto per ogni cosa e ogni cosa al suo posto.
Lo spazio deve essere valorizzato, deve avere un senso e collocare tutto nella giusta posizione. In questo modo ogni elemento trasmette armonia e lascia spazio ad altri che magari prima rimanevano esclusi.
- Trovare soddisfazione: Chi divora in modo atavico è destinato a non saziarsi mai.
Impara ad averne abbastanza. Quando si ottiene qualcosa di nuovo è bene imparare a prendersi il giusto tempo per apprezzare e gioire. Concentrarsi su ciò che c’è, anziché pensare a quello che manca è un buon modo di iniziare.
Minimalism helps the environment
Ontologically minimalism is placed at the antipodes of capitalism: the great plague that afflicts the planet.
The disposable society pushes us compulsively to buy material goods (making us perceive as essential needs that are merely induced and therefore unreal), to turn them into obsolete a moment later. In this way it induces the purchase of the next asset and transforming the previous one into a rejection.
There is no room for the relocation of the "obsolete asset". A large part of the waste production of our time is due to this mechanism. So, the first advantage is to get away from this unconscious slavery, regaining conscious and responsible possession of our choices of buyers. The direct consequence is a sharp reduction in the production of waste material per capita.
At Amarzo we use a minimalist approach both in the production and in the design of our collections of products made of 100% recycled glass. Simple and essential lines, handmade products and respect for the environment are our watchwords. Check out our store to find out more.
Article edited by Renato Sarlo
