AI renders in Midjourney based on a single art reference.

How an art reference to a visual AI prompt can shape your icon exploration

A subtle artist or art history parameter in a Midjourney prompt can set the creative tonality

An art historical reference to your Midjourney prompt as the basis for visual AI exploration

I’ve long been a fan of minimal art and artists. Mostly, because I myself cannot paint in a minimalist style. My style is more figurative and expressive.

But I love to look at minimal art and use it as a foundation for my graphic designs.

Minimalist art creates the foundation for explorative design, especially when are grids involved, reductivist color palettes, or interesting geometric shapes.

Take Piet Mondrian, for example. Mondrian’s minimal color grids have influenced designers for over a century now.

Piet Mondrian, Tableau, 1923, oil on canvas, approx. 20.5 x 20.5 inches. Image in public domain.(1)

Mondrian was a visionary. He foretold modular design thinking. He painted for the screen before there were pixels.