Why Simplicity and Harmony Are Still Worth Pursuing

THE GROOVE

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Sometimes you may feel that the world belongs to the scandalous and the infamous. The cult of the mega-watt personality seems to have eclipsed true talent and hard work. People pile up a million things on top of each other in order to cover their true essence or they drown their businesses by adding more and more things that aren’t needed. The overwhelm is real.

I am not an introvert, nor do I consider myself “simple”, but man, I wish there was a bit more of balance in the things we devote our attention to. I wish simplicity would be more embraced by society.

If we could borrow something from the great Milton Avery, the prominent American artist of the early and mid-20th century, it should be his approach to painting characterized by harmony and simplicity, the affinity in his color choices and simplified forms and figures veered toward abstraction without being so.

Avery provided a crucial bridge in art history between late 19th century Impressionism and the modernist revolution of the Abstract Expressionists, and defied categorizations because according to him: “I never have any rules to follow. I follow myself.”

The best businesses and the best leaders are those who can explain their mission or value proposition in one sentence. A company that can streamline their products and services has an easier time selling them than those who don’t. Steve Jobs said in 1998 (many years before the advent of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, arguably the simplest products he designed and launched): “Simple can be harder than complex: you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

Simple doesn’t mean easy. You have to put in the effort to know what’s the core and the essence of what you do. Focusing on one or two things that are really strong in your practice or business will always be much better than trying to be good at 28 different ones.

Avery was a master at this: “I eliminate and simplify, leaving apparently nothing but color and pattern. I am not seeking pure abstraction; rather the purity and essence of the idea--expressed in its simplest form.” Working through the Depression and the Second World War, he also learnt to be very simple with materials, thinning his paint with turpentine and using whatever surfaces he could find, such as cardboard, gifted reams of paper and loose fabrics.

This approach paid off: his sought-after paintings, which consistently sell in the seven figures at auction, defy categorization. When his posthumous retrospective at The Whitney Museum opened in 1982, The New York Times stated in unequivocal terms that “Avery had the finest eye for color in the entire history of American painting. His only rivals in this respect are to be found among the great French modernists - specifically Henri Matisse.” Enough said.

Humans are complex, no doubt, but if we listen closely inside ourselves, there are a few things that are only ours and can be mined, polished, and refined for our good and the benefit of those we serve. We do our best work once we strip the unnecessary adornments, when we insist on showcasing our personalities and our businesses as they are. In other words, we don’t have to force what’s not, we just have to follow the path of least resistance.

While stylistically connected to both Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism, Avery followed his own path and avoided classifications and pigeonholing. Mark Rothko was obsessed with Avery and would visit often to try to learn from him. Avery’s work carried that pure and distilled essence that made everything look elegant, relying on flat planes and semi-abstract forms made up of complementary, luminous tones.

Personality-wise, Avery didn’t have to invent a persona to become more interesting. He didn’t need to wear a costume or throw public tantrums, he wasn't a tortured or fame-hungry artist, and he was very economical with his words. Asked to explain his work, he would demur: “Why talk when you can paint?”

Following the path of least resistance doesn't mean skipping all challenges or always taking the easiest route. The key is to avoid unnecessary difficulties by making choices that support our talents and ideas in every area of our lives.

The world is in disarray. One way or another, we have accepted this pandemonium as normal. I know of people who pride themselves on always living in drama, attracting chaos (or sowing it), and experiencing life as a pendulum that swings fast in both directions. But that’s a hard way of living and an even harder way of doing business. Some people use this as a shield, claiming that they are geniuses and can’t do it any other way. The price to pay in one’s health and relationships is very high, though.

The word “harmony” is derived from the classical Greek harmonia (meaning a joint between the planks of a ship or a joining of those planks). From the beginning, the term was also used in its current metaphorical sense; a combination of parts or related things that form a consistent whole. A state of balance, peace, and overall well-being in various aspects of your existence may sound boring but achieving harmony is part of living a well-lived life.

Milton Avery was looking for harmony in his work and he got there by finding the perfect balance between abstraction and representation. His use of color was masterful too, favoring vibrant hues that interacted well on the canvas. His ability to balance and blend colors and shapes created a visual agreement that resonated with viewers. His works often convey a sense of tranquility and emotional serenity that feel good to the eye and the soul.

The theme of harmony permeated every area of Avery’s life: he married Sally Michell, also an artist, in 1927, and stayed with her until the end of his life in 1965. He had March, his only child, and always worked out of his living room. It was all very unpretentious and uncomplicated.

Harmony happens for those who are willing to live in a state of balance where different elements coexist and interact without conflict. It is possible to get there when we focus our attention on simplifying our lives and editing what doesn’t belong. Sometimes it may be as easy as decluttering closets and sometimes it may be as deep as re-evaluating our habits and attitudes, or the people, activities or things that bring stress in our life and deciding whether they are still worth having or pursuing.

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TEDX TALK

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