https://www.proz.com/kudoz/german-to-english/art-literary/171338-reduzierte-formensprache.html
This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. German to English

reduzierte Formensprache

English translation: minimalism/simplicity of form

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:reduzierte Formensprache
English translation:minimalism/simplicity of form
Entered by: Tom Funke

18:00 Mar 25, 2002
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary / design of lighting
German term or phrase: reduzierte Formensprache
context: lamp design

Produkte Highlights
Lampenreihe X:

Kreis + Quadrat - reduzierte Formensprache

Evolution ist Reduktion.
Reduktion aufs Wesentliche.
Ein Kreis. Ein Quadrat.

I realize this means reduction or simplification to the fundamental shapes of the circle and square, but was wondering what term is commonly used in the art world for "reduzierte Formensprache" --
minimalism of form, perhaps?

Thanks very much in advance!
Beth Kantus
United States
Local time: 11:01
minimalism/simplicity of form
Explanation:
minimalism/simplicity of form

Your own suggestion should work well. Also cf: modifiers like elegant/serene simplicity etc. Implicit is the 'Less is More' design principle.

Google: Searched English pages for form design lighting minimalism OR simplicity. Results 1 - 10 of about 16,000. Search took 0.20 seconds.

Chicago Design Show | Chicago, Illinois November 2 - 6, 2000 : ...
... Find Products, ... our need for simplicity and serenity without ... a dramatic form.", ... a progressive
design showroom which ...
www.homeportfolio.com/GetInspired/TradeShows/Chicago2001/ index.jhtml - 33k - Cached - Similar pages

Totem Design
... design, is proud to present a series of ambient lighting from the bakerygroup called
Light Volumes. Elegance, minimalism and simplicity are joined to form this ...
www.totemdesign.com/about/pr-bakerygroup.html - 13k - Cached - Similar pages

Kitchen And Bath Design News - Planning and Design - Drawing on ...
... Drawing on Eastern Asian ... of line. Simplicity of form and ... proportion and form. The same ... living
areas. Lighting again can ... in cabinetry design, window treatments ...
www.kitchen-bath-design.com/COLUMNS-kitchens/Planning_And_D... 2001/042001_Planning-And-Design_MJPeterson.asp - 26k - Cached - Similar pages

Decorative Outdoor Ornamental Lighting & Site Furnishings by ...
... Decorative Ornamental Outdoor Lighting ... into the form located on ... pole spacings, lighting
calculations, technical ... Click on Design Capabilities to ... Simplicity and ...
Description: Manufacturers representative and supplier of non-organic site furnishings, such as ornamental lighting,...
Category: Business > Industries > ... > Site Construction > Site Furnishings
www.sitespecifier.com/ - 22k - Cached - Similar pages

review Hiro Yamagata
... This show is ... has taken disco design to its ... uses geometric form to avoid representation.
Where Minimalism implies reduction ... in the gallery lighting, here taken ...
www.asci.org/reviews/docs/8_2001.html - 5k - Cached - Similar pages

Simplicity, usability: secrets of Web design
... Simplicity, usability: secrets of Web ... into the written form. ... like having good lighting
in a store ... chapter on page design: ... be minimized.'; 'Simplicity always wins ...
informationr.net/ir/reviews/revs032.html - 25k - Cached - Similar pages

About the artist
... functional and funky art form beyond kitsch. In interior design terms, I saw minimalism,
with drawing in, dichroic down lighting, as running the risk of ...
www.marcofabbro.com/about.htm - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

art & design
... ceilings and quality lighting to display the ... kiln. Pure abstract design in pottery
preceded ... dramatic abstract form, it captures ... purity and simplicity of Zen ...
www.nokia.co.jp/tokyoq/weekly_updates/art.html - 37k - Cached - Similar pages

Philips Lamps & Gear
... changes in society. However, it is ... note that the lighting units which ... to Italian design,
are those ... maintaining great simplicity and severity of form. ...
www.eur.lighting.philips.com/lamps&gear/backissues/issue4_1... rules_italy.htm - 26k - Cached - Similar pages

NB: It's not entirely clear whether the referenced geometry refers to the lamp itself or the the pattern of illumination, but the language used wouldn't necessarily be different.

HTH Tom





Selected response from:

Tom Funke
Local time: 11:01
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for your helpful suggestions and interesting discussion!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +5minimalism/simplicity of form
Tom Funke
4 +1minimalism
Chris Rowson (X)
4simplicity of form / shape
Mary Worby
4Expressed shape economy.
brute (X)
4a minimalist concept
Wynona Kaspar
4Minimalist (reductionalist) forms of expression
Roddy Stegemann
4 -1REDUCED FORM OF SPEECH
RNolder (X)


  

Answers


24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
minimalism


Explanation:
does it need more?

Chris Rowson (X)
Local time: 17:01
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 768

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  brute (X)
6 mins
neutral  Roddy Stegemann: I agree, but one must then wonder why the author did not write "minimalistisch" to capture the more formal meaning of artistic expression known as "Minimalism".
6 hrs
  -> The German phrase is nicely expressive. But "reduced language of form" is not so neat. Whereas "minimalist" is native and natural.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
REDUCED FORM OF SPEECH


Explanation:
I BELIEVE IT REFERS BACK TO Kreis + Quadrat.

HOPE IT HELPS

RNolder (X)
Local time: 11:01
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 163

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Roddy Stegemann: This is a funny answer, but in some ways closer than some of the rest.
6 hrs
  -> Sorry, I translated on the fly without looking at the subject context.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
minimalism/simplicity of form


Explanation:
minimalism/simplicity of form

Your own suggestion should work well. Also cf: modifiers like elegant/serene simplicity etc. Implicit is the 'Less is More' design principle.

Google: Searched English pages for form design lighting minimalism OR simplicity. Results 1 - 10 of about 16,000. Search took 0.20 seconds.

Chicago Design Show | Chicago, Illinois November 2 - 6, 2000 : ...
... Find Products, ... our need for simplicity and serenity without ... a dramatic form.", ... a progressive
design showroom which ...
www.homeportfolio.com/GetInspired/TradeShows/Chicago2001/ index.jhtml - 33k - Cached - Similar pages

Totem Design
... design, is proud to present a series of ambient lighting from the bakerygroup called
Light Volumes. Elegance, minimalism and simplicity are joined to form this ...
www.totemdesign.com/about/pr-bakerygroup.html - 13k - Cached - Similar pages

Kitchen And Bath Design News - Planning and Design - Drawing on ...
... Drawing on Eastern Asian ... of line. Simplicity of form and ... proportion and form. The same ... living
areas. Lighting again can ... in cabinetry design, window treatments ...
www.kitchen-bath-design.com/COLUMNS-kitchens/Planning_And_D... 2001/042001_Planning-And-Design_MJPeterson.asp - 26k - Cached - Similar pages

Decorative Outdoor Ornamental Lighting & Site Furnishings by ...
... Decorative Ornamental Outdoor Lighting ... into the form located on ... pole spacings, lighting
calculations, technical ... Click on Design Capabilities to ... Simplicity and ...
Description: Manufacturers representative and supplier of non-organic site furnishings, such as ornamental lighting,...
Category: Business > Industries > ... > Site Construction > Site Furnishings
www.sitespecifier.com/ - 22k - Cached - Similar pages

review Hiro Yamagata
... This show is ... has taken disco design to its ... uses geometric form to avoid representation.
Where Minimalism implies reduction ... in the gallery lighting, here taken ...
www.asci.org/reviews/docs/8_2001.html - 5k - Cached - Similar pages

Simplicity, usability: secrets of Web design
... Simplicity, usability: secrets of Web ... into the written form. ... like having good lighting
in a store ... chapter on page design: ... be minimized.'; 'Simplicity always wins ...
informationr.net/ir/reviews/revs032.html - 25k - Cached - Similar pages

About the artist
... functional and funky art form beyond kitsch. In interior design terms, I saw minimalism,
with drawing in, dichroic down lighting, as running the risk of ...
www.marcofabbro.com/about.htm - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

art & design
... ceilings and quality lighting to display the ... kiln. Pure abstract design in pottery
preceded ... dramatic abstract form, it captures ... purity and simplicity of Zen ...
www.nokia.co.jp/tokyoq/weekly_updates/art.html - 37k - Cached - Similar pages

Philips Lamps & Gear
... changes in society. However, it is ... note that the lighting units which ... to Italian design,
are those ... maintaining great simplicity and severity of form. ...
www.eur.lighting.philips.com/lamps&gear/backissues/issue4_1... rules_italy.htm - 26k - Cached - Similar pages

NB: It's not entirely clear whether the referenced geometry refers to the lamp itself or the the pattern of illumination, but the language used wouldn't necessarily be different.

HTH Tom







Tom Funke
Local time: 11:01
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 2419
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for your helpful suggestions and interesting discussion!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Mary Worby: You beat me to it and got references to boot!
2 mins
neutral  Chris Rowson (X): refs for minimal?
4 mins
agree  brute (X)
4 mins
agree  Werner George Patels, M.A., C.Tran.(ATIO) (X)
6 mins
agree  Klaus Herrmann: That's an impressive list of references
43 mins
agree  ingot: Here's to " simplicity of form " ...........and impressive references !
1 hr
agree  Eva Blanar
2 hrs
disagree  Roddy Stegemann: If this were correct, then the author could have written more simply "reduzierte Formen" or "Reduzierung der Formen". The key here is "Formensprache" - namely, expressing oneself through the use of basic shapes or forms.
6 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
simplicity of form / shape


Explanation:
NB - I don't know what the accepted terminology is or even whether such a thing exists.

Taking your own idea of simplification to fundamental shapes ...

Just an idea!

HTH

Mary


    none at all (-:
Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:01
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 2770

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Roddy Stegemann: Minimalism is a formal category of artistic form of expression. Simplicity a general concept which pervades all realms of thought.
6 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

47 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Expressed shape economy.


Explanation:
Diverging choice.

brute (X)
PRO pts in pair: 255

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Roddy Stegemann: Extreme, but the same idea could be better expressed as "economy of shapes" or "economy of form", nicht wahr?
6 hrs
  -> Perhaps, Hamo; it's context dependant!
agree  msebold: "Economy of shape/form" were among my first thoughts, and I think they would do rather elegantly. Besides, it sounds like a marketing piece, in which case I think matching the function of the phrase is more important than providing a direct translation.
14 hrs
  -> Thanx, Michael!
disagree  Kim Metzger: "expressed shape economy" is of course impossible in English.
2783 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
a minimalist concept


Explanation:
that's what I would say in this context

Wynona Kaspar
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:01
PRO pts in pair: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Roddy Stegemann: This might be could, but without the article "a".
3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Minimalist (reductionalist) forms of expression


Explanation:
I believe "minimalism" is to the art world, what "reductionalism" is to the world of philosophy -- the idea of reducing everything to a common denominator. Then again, I can understand how minimalism and reductionalism could be different forms of expression.

In the above case "Formsprache" probably best conveys the idea of expression through the use of forms -- in this case reduced or simplified forms.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-03-26 01:02:16 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

OK everyone. It\'s your turn!

Roddy Stegemann
United States
Local time: 08:01
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 285

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Chris Rowson (X): The author has himself used reduced forms.
3 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations