Minimalist art photography in decoration recalls the essential
Calm and clarity through purity, this is what minimalism evokes. In art photography, the minimalist style gets rid of the superfluous around a subject. These images invite us to a moment of contemplation suspended in time: a vaporous sky, the blade of a wave, the grain of tanned skin or the natural geology seen from the sky. For instance, a artistic photo of mountain landscape where you can only make out a few horizon lines invites you to rest, both of sight and of mind. Evocative, almost in spite of itself, minimalist art photography invites itself into our interiors to remind us that less is more.
Take a clean look at life
A refined artist's photo arises at the meeting between the fine observation skills of its author and an intention behind the shot. The photographer puts a frame on his creativity and makes choices to remove the “noise” around his subject. After all, fine art photography is all about selecting visual information: which to keep and which to remove from view?
It is often the spectacle of nature that minimalist photography is interested in. Photographer Enric Gener uses minimalist principles in his underwater visual explorations, by a single solitary shark, it manages to remind us endlessly and the mystery of the underwater world.
Minimalist art photography can also focus on details: the grain of a skin, the tip of a surfboard fin, etc. Even if it is minimalist in its representation, this detail is enough to awaken strong memories or personal meaning.
Some Principles of Minimalist Art Photography
Minimalist art photography revolves around the void. Also called negative space, it results in the preponderance of an element in the composition: a luminous sky, a deserted beach as far as the eye can see. This emptiness leaves room for breathing, rest and allows the gaze to rest freely.
Who says distribution of space, says composition. The artist's photo, whatever the style, masters this principle. In its minimalist version, the space occupied by a single element helps to direct the eye towards the real subject of the image. The lines and the geometry of the forms contribute to the minimalist aesthetic where we often find a strong geometry.
“Ah, I had never seen it like that!” can we easily exclaim! The placement of the point of attention can be the result of a long consideration, a studied knowledge of the subject and technical experiments. The photographer will necessarily have tried different shots, squatting or taking height to an aerial photo and compose an artistic landscape photo. Like Mieke Boynton who does not hesitate to take height to reveal the surreal images created by nature and how small we are within it.
The minimalist photographer knows how to play with the level of contrast and the depth of field. It is above all a question of reducing the disruptive elements. The appropriate settings that will reduce the sharpness in places and therefore the parasitic details that could distract the eye.
Finally, color treatment, or lack thereof, is one of the first things that jump out at minimalist artistic photos. If in general, we are going to think above all of black and white fine art photography, the choice of a limited color palette will reinforce the minimalist spirit. Take for example the blue of an aerial view in several tones captured by Ben Simon. An isolated touch of color will focus the eye while highlighting the empty space. In a minimalist photo, color and emptiness agree and dialogue.
Minimalist art photography on its walls
We can say that minimalist photography is simple but not simplistic. Behind his apparent destitution hides a strong message. Will you be able to detect its meaning or put your own? Somehow, the minimalist photo is self-explanatory, because its value rests on the interpretation of the person who contemplates it. This is often why we choose to acquire a work, because it reminds us of our values and touches on something very personal.
Select
Visual noise so easily pollutes our living spaces. Opting for minimalist photography means infusing your interiors with a soothing calm. It allows us to find a touch of poetry and offers a moment of rest in everyday life, encouraging us to see nature and the moments of life with a new eye.
Supervise well
Our advice to leave all the room for the artistic image is of course to prefer a discreet setting. X-Plorar offers each artist photo unframed or with a black, white or natural wood frame designed to enhance the work.
Whether it is a static, dynamic scene or the moment that will precede a movement, the minimalist art photo attracts attention and awakens the spirit. Interfering in our sometimes overcrowded daily life, minimalist art photography reminds us of the essentials.