Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with minimalism

Yosigo's minimalist photos - how does he do it?

junesix — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:47:49 -0800

Really loving the super-wide angle, minimalist photo compositions of yosigo (Jose Javier) on Flickr. How does he do it? In a number of the photos in this "Somebody is there" set, you can see his distinctive style. The bottom quarter or fifth of the photo has some scenery with/out people and very little activity. The rest of the photo is filled with blurred negative space that appears to be a continuation of the sky or background.

I assume all those photos are taken at wide angle. But how does he achieve the blurred empty backgrounds that fill the top of the photos? Can this be achieved with in-camera composition or is it product of creative Photoshop work? I assume the vignetting in many of the photos is added in the computer but I'm wondering how much of the rest is as well.

BONUS: Can you recommend other photographers who shoot in a minimalist style?

Please be a pawn in my music search!

thisjax — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 01:03:45 -0800

It's a minimalist album, the title of which is a chess move...it exists, right? Last year, someone recommended what they thought was an amazing minimalist (but possibly leaning towards electronica) album to me, but I can't remember the name and need some help finding it. All I can recall is:
-The composer's name is probably something Eastern European sounding
-The album title is a chess move, like A1-B2 (but not that one specifically; as much fun as it would be for me to try Googling as many legal chess moves as I can think of...)

Does this sketchy description pique anyone's music-fu?

Music like the Silversun Pickups' Lazy Eye

frogan — Sat, 05 May 2007 15:15:10 -0800

Need music suggestions for a specific style -- minimalist, guitar-heavy, dense, layered, trance-like. Recent example: Silversun Pickups' "Lazy Eye." There's a specific style of music I really like, and it's best exemplified, most recently, by the Silversun Pickups' "Lazy Eye."

It's minimalist, with repeated chords. It's dense and layered, making heavy use of guitars for rhythms. It's all very trance-like without being electronica. It has emotive highs and lows, but it's not angry. There's distortion, but it's not dissonant. The whole song sounds like it's rolling, if that makes sense.

What the hell do you call this style? Who else makes music like this?

Minimalist art and Homage to the Square: Glow

ontic — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 21:22:09 -0800

I first saw it on a postage stamp. Now I really (pathologically) like Josef Alber's Homage to the Square: Glow. Looking for suggestions work that expresses similar emotions (with caveats inside). Also, I would love to get a print of it and/or see it some time before I die. It doen't seem to have been exhibited for 14 years. I understand nothing about art museums or prints. Please help. Does anyone know where I can get a print? Also, it appears from the exhibition history that it's not on display at the Hirshhorn. Even if it isn't on exhibit, could I somehow arrange to see it if I contact/show up at the Hirshhorn? It seems as if it's been condemned to a dark corner for the last 14 years -- where it can't glow for me or other people!

I'm also looking for similar work. But this is, so far, the only minimalist-type work that does anything for me. I don't really get anything from the rest of Alber's work, just this one. Is there other, specific minimalist work that you think conveys this kind of emotion/wonder?

And I know this is probably a "If you have to ask" question, but what would something like this painting cost?

I had mostly given up on paintings, but this one really awakened something in me. Many thanks for any help you can be in expanding whatever happened.

Musician seeks 17 others for repetitive good times.

Jon Mitchell — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 23:42:59 -0800

What other orchestral music should I try next? I am somewhat ill-educated in the world of orchestral music. My favourite composers are currently John Adams and Debussy. Adams I enjoy for the accessibility, the propulsive rhythm, the vibrant textures, and his occasionally electronics-inspired orchestrating : The reverse-attack mid-section in Naive And Sentimental Music was particularly enjoyable for me, though Harmonielehre is probably my favourite work of his. Debussy I enjoy for the off-kilter and jazz-inspired (inspiring?) harmony.

Outside of I have a love of both electronic/experimental/ambient music, and a well crafted pop song.

I have already checked out the American Mavericks broadcast, which covered John Adams, and listened to most of the minimalist composers.

I really enjoyed Alarm Will Sound's reinterpretation of Aphex Twin.

I seem to enjoy full-orchestra pieces more than quartets or solo piano work.

Where next?