Saturday, January 18, 2014

#18 / Less Is More



The assertion that "less is more" is often attributed to architect Mies Van Der Rohe (as on this cup), but the phrase probably came, originally, from an 1855 poem by Robert Browning, Andrea del Sarto, in which del Sarto, a Renaissance painter admired for his technical skill, describes his artistic techniques to his wife or lover. 

The "less is more" phrase came to my mind as I read an article in the Friday, January 10, 2014 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle. The article describes how water rationing measures are being imposed in Bay Area cities, because of the current drought conditions in California. Accompanying the article was the following picture:


Here is the caption for the picture: "Pavlov cleans the Highlander's grille. His Waterless Touch business can detail a vehicle with a single cup of water."

There is no doubt that human beings have exceeded the limits of the Natural World that must ultimately support all we do. Our use of water is just one example. 

Think of the wonderful economy we could have if we were to "reengineer" virtually everything we do on the "less is more" principle! Necessity may make us do it. We would be wise to get ahead of necessity, however.

That's my belief!


Image Credits: 
(1) http://simplifyyourlife.tumblr.com/post/2078301913/less-is-more-mug
(2) http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/After-dry-spell-get-ready-for-water-restrictions-5129385.php#photo-5701965 

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