We Got Minimalism Wrong and Mondrian Proves It

In this episode of A Painting – A Pause, we take a closer look at Piet Mondrian's Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow, the work that helped shape modern architecture, design, fashion and the entire visual world of the modern era and the painting that showed me I had been doing minimalism completely wrong. Behind this small, deceptively simple canvas lies a life of stripping away: years spent painting the same apple tree until it disappeared, the influence of Cubism in Paris, an immersion in the spiritual writings of Theosophy, and a quiet, decades-long search for what holds everything together beneath the surface. Finished in 1930, after twenty years of distillation, Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow opens a question that still feels familiar today: what are we actually looking for when we try to simplify our lives and what if less was never the point? A Painting — A Pause is your tiny art escape: In each episode we slowly discover one painting, its story and why it still matters for your life today. Timestamps: 0:00 – Intro 0:44 – What's Left When The Surface is Gone 4:24 – A Language Beneath The Surface 7:00 – Less Was Only The Tool #APaintingAPause #PietMondrian #Mondrian #CompositionWithRedBlueAndYellow #arthistory #abstractart Artwork and Image Credits (including works used during research and production): https://www.artwithcarolin.com/artwor... Contact: [email protected] Carolin Ngo Postproduction: Pierce Vaughn https://www.piercevaughn.com The rights of copyright holders and artists along with institutions and collections are of the utmost importance to me. I’ve done my absolute best to track down and credit all rightful owners. But if, despite my best efforts, you feel your contribution has been unintentionally left out or is credited incorrectly, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to make it right.