All painting – the painting of the past as well as of the present – shows us that its essential plastic means we are only line and color. (Piet Mondrian)
This is a piece I wrote for our children’s program, LOUD, but I love how it applies across all the arts. Simplicity, abstraction, purity is beautiful, whether in painting, theater, dance, music, or any other form.
Anyone who ever gets me started on art theory or aesthetics knows I’m a minimalism junkie! I love empty space, clean lines, “purity” etc/etc/etc. I have almost no art on my walls at home, I usually do shows with next to no props, I like singing with just a piano, I often talk about living in a micro-house (something insane, like 200 sq ft), so what’s my fascination?
Overwhelming the senses is one option in art, but I think it’s fascinating to focus on one thing, to let the eye rest, to delve deeply into something and really examine it. It’s a lot more intimate than all the bells and whistles, and to me, it’s what I find really fascinating.
We’re constantly inundated with media, ads, colors, sounds, light, etc …I think what’s striking now is simplicity, cleanliness, and modernity. The best way to be LOUD is to make fewer noises, and invest all the energy you can into each one.
