A Beginner's Guide to Appreciating Minimalist Art
It takes very little effort to look at a piece of art, but it takes considerable effort to engage with it. Art appreciation is often called pretentious or seen as unnecessary, but especially for the minimalist art movement, it can be a good way to fully experience and enjoy the pieces that you’re looking at.
So, how do you engage in minimalist art appreciation? Here’s what you need to know.
What is minimalist art?
Minimalist art is an artistic movement and style that employs a very limited number of elements to create pieces that work with themes like the interplay between light and darkness, negative space, and unusual artistic media. It became popular in the 1960s as a response to the Abstract Expressionist movement, removing the requirement of inherent meaning and focusing instead on subjective interpretation and interaction.
How to explore minimalist art appreciation
Art appreciation is a relatively general term that we use to mean taking the time to look at a piece of work for more than its aesthetic value and understand it on a deeper level. While yes, professional art critics exist, you don’t have to be a professional or even an artist to participate. Here are some ways you can engage in minimalist art appreciation.
Expose yourself to the art
The best thing you can do for yourself when it comes to art appreciation is to expose yourself to as much art as possible, as often as possible. Visit local galleries and museums, check in with your community for art events and classes, or look online for resources that allow you to view and explore the art of far-away galleries on your own terms. By surrounding yourself with art, you can begin to see the patterns, themes, and overall message of the movement in a more comprehensive light.
Here are some resources for minimalist art viewing you can use:
Find personal meaning in the art
Art appreciation can feel arbitrary and boring if your focus is on finding the meanings that other people assign to work. A good way to feel more connected to art is to find meaning that is personal to you. Remember that art is subjective; just because the artist intended it to mean one thing doesn’t mean that it can’t have a different significance to you.
This is especially true in minimalist art. Minimalism as a movement began as a rebellion against the idea of intrinsic meaning that was key to many abstract expressionist pieces. Many minimalist artists create works that don’t have an intrinsic deeper meaning; they’re created to focus on the physical aspects of the art, from the medium to the negative space and the interplay between the piece and its display setting.
In these cases, you might find your own meaning in an art piece by seeing how its themes relate to your experiences. For example, a piece that focuses on the space between its parts might cause you to consider the focus you put on the things missing from your life, rather than the things present in it. Pieces that show the interplay between a hard material and a soft one might remind you what your firm boundaries are and what you are willing to compromise. An interactive piece might cause you to think about how we affect each others’ lives and the world around us.
Consider keeping a journal in which you document your reactions to various pieces of art. This might help you see patterns in your perception and discover the kinds of art you enjoy.
Try creating art for yourself
Possibly the best way to engage in art appreciation is to create art for yourself. Being part of or completing the entire creative process can offer you insights into how and why art is made the way that it is.
Here are some resources for engaging in art:
An article from NPR on making creativity a part of your daily routine
An article from a fine art class service about creating art for the first time
A blog post with a clever idea for a minimalist art piece to try at home
Conclusion
Understanding and appreciating art doesn’t take a master’s degree or professional training. As long as you are willing to learn and explore, art appreciation can be a great venue for gaining a deeper perspective on the world around you and the artistic movements that influence it. With minimalism especially, stepping into the art with an open mind and a critical eye can help improve your experience with the movement as a whole and make it more personally meaningful.
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