Presented by the Orange County Museum of Art and AIGA OC

In his new book The Longing for Less: Living with Minimalism, cultural critic Kyle Chayka reminds us that “less is more” did not originate with decluttering guru Marie Kondo, but with Minimalist artists, architects, composers, and poets. By examining the rich ideas explored by singular innovators like Donald Judd, Agnes Martin and John Cage, he shows us that the generic, austere aesthetic we see today has been zapped of the qualities that made the avant-garde movement interesting. As Chayka looks anew at the historical roots of minimalism, he offers insights into our drive to reduce and arrives at a new synthesis of our minimalist desires and our emotional needs.

Read more about Kyle Chayka in this recent NY Times article.

About Kyle Chayka

Kyle Chayka is a freelance writer and critic whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, the Paris Review, The Guardian, and other publications.

About OCMA

The Orange County Museum of Art enriches the lives of a diverse and changing community through modern and contemporary art. The museum opened in 1962 as the Balboa Pavilion Gallery by thirteen visionary women. With a focus on modern and contemporary art, their efforts were well received and the museum enjoyed recognition from coast to coast. In 1968 the institution became known as the Newport Harbor Art Museum and in 1972, moved to a nearby, larger location. Interest and support continued to grow, as did its collections and exhibitions and in 1977, the museum opened its doors on San Clemente Drive. In 1997 the museum was remodeled and renamed the Orange County Museum of Art. In June 2018, the museum closed its doors in Newport Beach, and in October 2018 opened its temporary location in Santa Ana in South Coast Plaza Village where the museum will operate as it builds a permanent home at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

About AIGA OC

AIGA OC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, working to be a practical resource, support network, and platform for local creative professionals and creative communities.

We are a community platform that invests in people, supporting ideas and organizations that demonstrate creative excellence, and the value of design thinking in Orange County.

We do this as volunteers, with help from a network of community partners, like-minded organizations, and you!