Minimalism: a Tumblr Query

When there's so much colour in the world, why are we drawn to minimalism? Minimalism is a difficult theory to grasp when you tend towards all-things sparkle infused (like I do), so I took to Tumblr to see minimalism meant to others. I found some things that I expected, but many were a little more ethereal and subconcious than "dress simply." 

Having style is not about trends. Stacy London (of What Not to Wear fame, and who's fabulous book I just read) and many other style-influencers have re-iterated this point time and time again. Style is about knowing what to wear and investing in pieces that are multi-functional, as well as multi-seasonal. The all-black look is one that never goes out of style, since the pieces that make up this outfit are simply chic and can be dismantled and reassembled with other pieces of clothing. 

Minimal living spaces seem to follow the same idea as my previously mentioned point: things are functional and have an essence of longevity. I find it almost impossible to even consider living in a minimalist environment because my walls would quickly be covered with bookshelves (which are never minimalist unless you buy matching books, and who does that?) and paintings (Andy Warhol and the Beatles for the den, vintage knights and faeries for my library room, and Piccaso's Starry Night for the bedroom), but I love the modernist themes of minimalist design. Natural wood, glass, and concrete can easily be jazzed up with an ever-changing colour palette, and the white walls hold an endless possibility. 

Minimalist design aesthetics can be tricky, but it's no wonder that they become icons of an era. I feel that companies who adopted a Zen-aesthetic in their design principles (like Leica, pictured below, or Apple) chose well; their products are often the choice of artistic professionals because the object creating the art is art itself, while not deterring from the principle of the artist themselves. In turn these devices have inspired many through their provision of a neutral palette. 

 

As a librarian, silence is the ultimate minimalism, and very little is more precious to me than the time I can spend in the solitude of my own mind. Silence can, of course, be a mental state as well, so I found this clever piece of art - which implies that silence is a product to be bought - rather ironic. 

Maybe minimalism is just a frame of mind. A way to reset at the end of the day, after having fought another round against the only real foe we have - the reality of our lives. Sometimes that white wall that we start with when the sun rises is splattered in blood by the time the sun sets, but it's our blood and our creation on the blank canvas that is the world. We know what was there the night before - we cleaned it up afterall - but that memory is all that needs remain.

*all images from Tumblr