Definition of minimalism Minimalism

/mɪˈnʌmʌlɪˌzʌm/ - [minumulizum] -

We found 5 definitions of minimalism from 4 different sources.

What does minimalism mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: minimalisms
minimalism - an art movement in sculpture and painting that began in the 1950s and emphasized extreme simplification of form and color
		minimal art, reductivism
		art movement, artistic movement a group of artists who agree on general principles

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

minimalism (Noun)
A style of art that emphasises extreme simplicity of form.
minimalism (Noun)
A style of music that emphasises extreme simplicity of rhythms and melodic forms to achieve a trancelike effect.

Wikipedia

Minimalism is a way of making Modern Art or music that uses simple ideas, sounds or shapes. It was most popular in America in the 1960s and 1970s. There are many different kinds of Minimalism. Sometimes a simple thing is repeated many times until it seems very complicated. Today Minimalism can be used to talk about many things such as design, architecture (the art of designing buildings), poetry, and movies.

In art important minimalists include Donald Judd, Sol Lewitt and Richard Serra.

In music Minimalism is a way of composing classical music which became popular during the second half of the 20th century. It is a way of composing by using a simple idea which is repeated many times. A minimalist piece of music usually takes a short idea which may be a melodic or a rhythmic pattern. This idea is then repeated many times, but each time it changes slightly. Sometimes this may be done by two or more instruments which start off by playing their notes or chords together but, as one is going slightly faster than the other, they gradually become “out of sync” (not synchronized, i.e. not together), then eventually they catch up with one another again. Usually this music is tonal so that it is firmly in one key. "A steady pulse is kept throughout the whole piece."

Composers who wrote minimalist music include Steve Reich (b.1936), Philip Glass (b.1937) and Terry Riley (b.1935). Other composers like John Adams (b.1947) have also used minimalist ways of composing, but they combined these