June 1, 2025

By Arthur H. Gunther III

thecolumnrule.com

“Minimalism” in art and other design is roughly “less is more” though it gets complicated over exactly what those words mean. For simplicity’s sake, there is calmness, even purity in what seems like essence.

And that extends to life. You may come to enjoy a particular friendship simply because it is simple. The person smiles, you feel safe, you look forward to meeting, to conversation, to routine. You don’t judge him or her or become negative. You don’t expect anything beyond the meet-up. It’s simply enjoyable.

You recall a time, a simple one, when all you had was a dime or quarter in your pants pocket as you walked to town. But that was enough as a kid. And your pants were either the first or second pair that got you through a year. But it all worked. Simplicity.

Country roads, particularly on early spring mornings or on those dusk-time cooler summer evenings, were (are somewhere still) the metaphorical essence of a satisfied purring cat in your lap as you hear the car motor gently accelerate and slow down and the steering seems in auto mode. No traffic lights. No traffic.

You are home and others are out. The quiet is a balm, and whether you read or watch cable or just look into space, it feels as if you can hear just the clock ticking. Recharge time. So simple.

The simple photograph with this piece, “Mansion in the Sky,” is minimalism. It does not show land, the rest of the house. There is no horizon. It can mean different things to each who care to look at it. It can be peaceful. Separated from whatever life stories unfold in the house, from landscaping that might distract, from a horizon that might suggest other stories, there can be a moment or longer just staring into the clouds, to play it simple.

Less can be more.

The writer is a retired newspaperman.

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