Chapter One: Historical Influences on the Development of Minimalism within Sacred Interiors In order to delve into the realm of minimalism and to explore the direction it has taken in contemporary sacred interiors, there must first be an investigation to analyse the different interpretations of minimalism throughout the centuries. This chapter will explore different aspects of the Christian church and how minimalism can be seen to have its roots in these. The first part of the chapter will analyse monasticism and significant monastic figures to draw parallels between this notion and minimalism to substantiate how this historic tradition has influenced the interpretation of minimalism within contemporary sacred interiors. This will lead into the framework for part two, which discusses Iconoclasm and how this movement has had a substantial impact in the rebuke of religious symbols within sacred interiors, whilst uncovering evidential ties to the development of minimalism in contemporary sacred interiors. Part three of this chapter investigates the bifurcation between aestheticism and asceticism, and how the principles of these opposing notions can be seen within minimalism. This chapter will demonstrate that minimalism has always been a continual aspect of the church in different forms since its beginnings, which has ultimately influenced the development of minimalism within contemporary sacred interiors.
Monasticism This first section will look at the history of monasticism to illustrate how this key movement of the church had a compelling influence in the aesthetic of minimalism, which has been translated into contemporary sacred interiors. Monasticism is the practice of surrendering materialistic pursuits in the secular world, in order to devote life entirely to Christian worship (New World Encyclopedia, 2008). The word itself derives from the Greek word, ‘monos’ meaning ‘alone’, and is evident throughout several different religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism (Britannica 2019). However, monasticism has been most influential through Christianity, therefore in order to achieve a thorough comprehension of how monastic traditions can be seen within minimalism, this religion will be the sole focus of this discussion (New World Encyclopedia 2008). Whilst the concept of Christian monasticism and monastic actions have been present for centuries, there has been an inherent inability to establish the origin of this tradition. Moreover, ethnologist Anita Goswami recognised that whilst there is extreme uncertainty with the origins of Christian monasticism, she noted Saint Anthony the Great (251AD356AD), Saint Basil the Great (330AD-379AD) and Paul of Thebes (227AD-342AD), as being upon the first monks to embark on a monastic life (Goswami 2006: 1331). Goswami went on to detail the first known recording of monasticism, which was in Egypt during the 3rd or 4th century AD (Goswami 2006: 1330). During this time, it was known and recorded that Saint Anthony the Great had travelled and found comfort in Pispir in Egypt, a mountain located within the desert by the Nile, otherwise known 10
