deedsdesign

Federal Center, Chicago, Mies van der Rohe (Photographed by me at the MoMA, NY)

I worked on a studio project once with a German exchange student whos drawings looked a lot like this. He was very smart and I liked him, but he was not an overachiever or a workaholic.  He kept things simple in part because it was easier that way.  On the other hand you’d probably say that Mies showed remarkable restraint and that to achieve minimalism he spent long hours honing things down to the barest essence, making all the parts speak together in unison with no part left unconsidered.  Less is More.

I took this photo of the same building (to left) a few years ago. Minimalist buildings make a nice backdrop for the colorful Calder sculpture.