Some of my favorite styles of art, design and sculpture involve minimalism. According to my doctor, who I'll call Freud, it all started when my mother minimized me as a child. Okay, that's not true, but I thought I would try my hand at a little storytelling.

Minimalism

In fact, what I like about minimalism in art is that lack of most elements. The lack of paint, design, technique. Just the basics. So, when just one element such as a brush stroke is featured or a line or color or shape that gives the piece that more impact.

When a piece of art is uncluttered, what is there can stand out all the more. The 1960s and 1970s were a wonderful time for the minimalist movement. Names like Frank Stella and Agnes Martin are of particular note.

Minimalism is sometimes called literalist art as it rebels against Abstract Expressionism (of course I enjoy working in this style as well). One of the problems with minimalism, however is twofold.

First, the piece of art may not speak for itself without much interpretation and discussion. This leads to my second point is that would be critics will say "I can do that" and miss the point of the piece that you're trying to present.

Many people who come to galleries now days are not sophisticated buyers. The old adage of "I don't know what good art is but I know what I like" applies now more than ever. Some buyers will not get the idea behind a mono color canvas or one with some different color box on it.

Many buyers simply want a minimalist piece that is in some way chic that they can put over their couch and it doesn't take away from the rest of the room. While some may argue that everything has already been done in minimalist art, I think that maximizing the nuances will help artists create or maintain a niche for themselves.

There are various grades of subtleties in line, form, color, shape that artists can explore and use for maximum effect. You don't have to be a Piet Mondrian, breaking new ground to come up with your own style.

In fact, this is the challenge. Coming up with a piece or series of pieces of minimalist art that is uniquely your own and has your signature on each work is no easy feat. But, the determined artist will strive for this ideal and many times pull it off after much thought and experimentation.